Same Day Flowers In The Storm? Snow Delivers Blow To Florists, Lovers

If you’re counting on delivery of same day flowers to pull your butt out if the doghouse with the love of your life today, Valentine’s Day, well — count again. At least if you live in the eastern United States.

As a massive winter storm socks the region, same day flower deliveries will likely be delayed and in some cases, may not make it in time for the close of Valentine’s Day at all.

“Most florists are under an extreme amount of stress because we have pre-ordered most of our roses and other flowers, but we can’t deliver them,” Sue Kirchhoffer, owner of Moravian Florist in Staten Island, New York, lamented. “On Valentine’s Day we usually do up to 500 deliveries and even if the demand was there this year, I don’t think we could do it because of the weather.”

Which is not to say that florists are not willing to do whatever it takes to prove that true love wins out over the effects of climate change every time.

“Storm or no storm, we have to do it,” Lisa Stephansky, of Boston Flower Market told The Boston Herald newspaper. “Either way, Valentine’s Day still goes on. And yes, we’re delivering on Valentine’s Day. We just go with the flow.”

Last year, Americans sent 233 million roses for Valentine’s Day, most of which were, as they are every year, imported from South America through Miami. So winter storms are unlikely to affect the availability of the Valentine’s Day favorite.

Getting the roses out to romantic couples is another issue when severe weather hits, and when it hits on February 14, as last minute lovers are desperate for same day flowers, that’s when things get complicated.

Florists were already looking at decreased demand this year, as often happens when Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday. People who schedule same day flower deliveries are likely to be more reluctant, feeling that their tokens of affection are likely to be abandoned in lonely offices over the weekend.

When Valentine’s Day falls before a three-day weekend, as it does this year — Monday being President’s Day — the same day flowers business takes a double hit.

Nonetheless, florists in the Northeast have geared up to get same day flowers out to the lovestruck customers willing to place an order in the middle of a storm.

“We gotta do what we gotta do,” said one employee at New York City’s Academy Floral as the shop braced itself to embark on same day delivery of flowers today. “It’s gonna be a lot of fights and we don’t want that!”