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Valentines get flowers despite weather
The Valentine's Day storm of 2007 couldn't ice that magical combination of romance and commerceDate published: 2/15/2007 Neither ice nor slush nor flurrying snow stays these florists from their appointed rounds. The roses must go through. So yesterday, as schools and businesses shut down and federal employees slept in, flower deliverers got out there and delivered. They drove tough, and they talked tough, too. "We're taking them till we can't take them anymore," said Michael Mulder, a district manager for Westwood Florist in Fredericksburg. "I've had even worse Valentine's Days," said Jan Williams, who owns a floral shop in the city. "We're continuing to take orders," said Barbara Nash of Plants & Things in Stafford County. That's not to say they didn't make adjustments, with the acquiescence of customers and bouquet recipients. Williams saw the lousy weather coming and made most school deliveries Monday. On Tuesday, she delivered to homes in outlying areas. And yesterday, the day of days, she kept the petals to the metal with a combination of deliveries and pickups. She has encountered worse Valentine's Days in her 37 years in the business. At least this year there were flowers to deliver, unlike once in the early 1990s when a huge pre-Valentine's Day ice storm threatened shipments from the wholesalers. At Plants & Things, a small family-owned business, Nash was delighted with spontaneous help from fellow members of St. Matthias United Methodist Church who showed up in their four-wheel-drive vehicles. With their help, she said, she expected to make nearly 100 southern Stafford deliveries by the close of business yesterday. Florists did acknowledge that not everyone due to receive Valentine's Day flowers would see those blooms on Valentine's Day itself. Nash had warned customers in advance that their deliveries might not happen until today, telling them, "We're not going to put anyone's life in jeopardy to deliver flowers." Most customers were understanding, florists said, and willing to be flexible. "We have not had anybody being angry," Nash said. Laura Moyer: 540/374-5417
Date published: 2/15/2007
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