Valdosta florists were busy this week preparing for one of their busiest days of the year — Valentine’s Day.

From roses to lilies to teddy bears with a balloon, local florists were busy preparing for Monday.

“I think overall (it’s the busiest) for a lot of reasons,” Chip Stephenson, co-owner of Beautiful Flowers, said. “We do a lot of Valentine’s Day flowers. We (also) do a lot of birthday flowers, anniversaries and funeral things.”

Bruce Sumner of Zant’s Flower Shop agrees.

“Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are both the busiest,” Sumner said. “You never know which one is going to be bigger, but definitely one of the two busiest days.”

To prepare for the big day, several local flower shops, such as Valdosta Greenhouses, have been working since December.

“(We have been) ordering roses, talking with wholesalers, trying to get together the best prices we could get for customers,” David Blevins, owner of Valdosta Greenhouses, said.

“We pre-booked roses and pre-tie bows to put on vases …,” Sandy Avila, manager of Central Floral Company, said “We have other items that we do here in the shop … like candies, stuffed animals with little mugs and candies inside, all of that sort of thing, that we do to prepare a head of time.”

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2011 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the average person will spend $116.21 on traditional Valentine’s Day merchandise.

That is 11 percent more than last year’s total of $103.

Some of the rise in what the average person will spend for Valentine’s Day may be due to the bad weather South America has been experiencing.

According to the Society of American Florists, 80 percent of the 198 million roses that consumers purchased in America last year came from countries such as Colombia and Ecuador.

Several countries in South America, such as Colombia, have been dealing with flooding, with rain storms throughout the fall and winter causing many of flower farms to close.

“So far, I haven’t heard of any shortages but a higher price for what’s available,” Sumner of Zant’s Flower Shop said. “The price of roses is up as a wholesale cost because of the weather in South America.”

Prices for a dozen roses in Valdosta, ranging from 12 single, long-stem roses to an arrangement with all the extras, will range from around $75 all the way up to over $125.

“Because of our advance planning, we were able to pre-book a lot of those roses, to get in before the prices really skyrocketed,” Blevins of Valdosta Greenhouses said.

“I feel really lucky to have done that”

“I pre-booked ahead of time so that I would have mine reserved,” Avila of Central Floral Company said. “There will be a rise in price for roses. I try not to go up as much as I have to, but they will be up more than on a regular day.”

Beyond the red rose

Red isn’t the only choice for roses, especially for those who want to spend a little less money.

“Yellow is the next color after red that people request,” Avila of Central Floral Company said. “Also, (there’s) the lavender rose. I do have assorted colored roses ordered. We had someone call in … that wanted orange. I try to get a nice variety of colors for those people … the person that they are giving it to wants a color other than red, even though red is for love. (Of course) we have more reds coming in than any other color.”

“Sometimes they have a preference for another color besides red, and they run a little less money. Because red is so much more in demand, they are a little more expensive,” Stephenson of Beautiful Flowers said.

While roses are the top flower for Valentine’s Day, there are other popular flowers that people are sending to their loved ones.

“Even though roses are still very popular, we’ve seen a shift lately of customers who prefer a mixed cut, like an arrangement with various flowers in it,” Blevins of Valdosta Greenhouses said. “Tulips have been very popular the last few years. Mixed arrangements with daises … Daisies are becoming very popular, and believe it or not, carnations are making a comeback. They were once thought of as a funeral type flower, but because of their longevity and their cost, they can really be made into a really nice arrangement for someone who’s on a budget.”

Other florists, such as Beautiful Flowers, have seen a lot of people ordering flowering plants or tropical plants as a gift.

“A lot of people want to give something that’s special to that one person, not necessarily red roses,” Stephenson of Beautiful Flowers said.

While Zant’s Flower Shop, Central Floral Company and Valdosta Greenhouses will be open and taking orders on Sunday, Beautiful Flowers will be taking orders over the phone only.

“We’re trying to book our orders for Valentine’s Day delivery … now so nobody will be left out. We will have flowers for the last minute, but they will probably be more for pickup,” Stephenson of Beautiful Flowers said.

Zant’s Flower Shop

Location: 2164 N. Ashley St., Valdosta

Phone: (229) 242-3574

Valdosta Greenhouses

Location: 206G Northside Drive, Valdosta

Phone: (229) 242-5653

Beautiful Flowers

Location: 130 N. Patterson St., Valdosta

Phone: (229) 253-0940

Central Floral Company

Location: 607 N. Patterson St., Valdosta

Phone: (229) 242-2470