Florists Prepare for Valentine’s Day Rush

SALISBURY, Md-  Valentine’s Day typically means big sales for florists, but many floral boutiques say things could be complicated this year.

They say certain flowers are getting harder to come by because growers in California are behind schedule and that they’re also dealing with shortages on bouquet pins, boxes, and even wrapping paper.

Sonya’s Floral Boutique in Salisbury says they stocked up for months in anticipation of the shortage, but customers should still be open to substitutions when shopping for gifts. They also say every step of the process has seen a price hike and that many florists have had to respond by raising their own prices to stay afloat.

“Everything has double at price everything is double the pots the containers the shipping its double for us so 20 years ago you can have a bouquet for 20-30 today it’s 50 and that’s where it starts because our prices have to rise because the wholesalers have risen,” said Florist Stacie Cathell.

Sonya’s Floral Boutique also says many online companies that order flowers through local vendors may not have the most up-to-date prices and inventory and that you should check with your local florist first.