Stems littered the floor as bouquet orders poured in by phone and through the Internet. Delivery drivers came and went. Employees squeezed by each other in the small room where they arrange the bouquets.
For the florists at April’s Garden, Thursday was their Super Bowl.
They had game-planned for weeks at Durango’s largest stand-alone floral shop. While bouquets will be given to hundreds of local loved ones today, many of the floral packages were arranged Thursday.
Amy Long, who owns April’s Garden, held a meeting last week with the temporary delivery drivers who are brought in to handle the rush of deliveries. Greens that adorn bouquets were arranged beforehand.
“You psych yourself up and don’t plan anything outside the shop,” said Linda Eich, a part-time florist. Eich has arranged flowers for 39 years, dating to her first job during high school in Albuquerque.
She also makes the brownies.
“That’s how we get through it,” said Natalie McClain, a floral designer and manager.
For florists, jewelers and candy shops, Valentine’s Day is among the busiest days of the year, if not the busiest.
April’s Garden employees arrived Thursday morning and stayed through dinner, which was provided by the boss.
Long does not allow employees to take vacation during the week preceding Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Today, she’ll have a dozen staff member and another dozen drivers to deliver some 300 bouquets.
The drivers are tasked with figuring out their routes.
“You want to think like a UPS driver – right turns in, right turns out, make a loop,” Long said.
The frenetic atmosphere is not unlike that of a busy restaurant kitchen.
“It’s very similar to a restaurant,” said McClain, who has also worked in that industry. “We’re like the cooks, and the drivers are like the waitresses.
“Maybe we’re not as grumpy as chefs – but maybe we are.”
Long offers an intentionally concise menu of bouquets for Valentine’s Day. “We try to keep it somewhat limited in the name of efficiency,” she said.
The store still offers custom arrangements. A standard bouquet of a dozen premium red roses costs $129.95.
April’s Garden is squeezed into a former home at 2075 Main Ave., that dates to 1900. Every possible space is used, including overhead.
“We use vertical space as much as we can,” Long said.
Two years ago, Long purchased and refurbished a barn in back for use as an overflow cooler.
Linnea Barnett, another florist, compared Valentine’s Day to cramming for a test.
“It’s just like finals week,” she said.
Durango’s two City Market locations also have busy floral departments.
“We expand our floral department throughout the whole store,” said Wayne Settle, assistant store manager at the Town Plaza location. “Anywhere we can put up floral displays, we put up floral displays.”
The men who come in for flowers become increasingly desperate as the day grinds on. “It’s always the last-minute guy trying to get something for their honey,” Settle said.
Inventory dwindles along with hopes for finding the right bouquet. By evening, Settle said, “we will be cleaned out.”
Jewelers also see an uptick in customers around Valentine’s Day.
“It’s always pretty consistent for me, fortunately,” said Jamie Lister of Jamie’s Fine Jewelry Shop, located downtown at 125 E. 10th St.
“There’s always a little bit more people coming in this time of year, looking at the June weddings,” she said.
For young men who want to surprise their future brides, getting a ring sized and chosen without the bride’s knowledge can be tricky. One woman recently dragged her best friend to The Jewelry Works, 965 Main Ave., to try on rings “just for fun,” said manager Leslie Hoxworth.
She’ll be getting a surprise today.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
