- Shawn Alff
- Shelley Vanderhorst
Flowers have become a staple of romance, possible because their sole function is to convey beauty and affection. Long stem roses in particular have become a cultural metaphor for love. As as result, few if any businesses are more impacted by Valentine's Day than florists. To get an idea of just what it is like being one of the foremost merchants of romance on February 14, I sat down with Shelley Vanderhorst, who has owned and operated Green Bench Flowers in downtown St. Petersburg for sixteen years.
How does Valentine's Day compare to Mother's Day in terms of flower sales?
They are pretty similar. The only difference is that on Valentine’s Day a lot of prep work goes in before hand, but it is a one day deal. With Mother’s Day, it is the whole week.
How many extra people do you hire for the holiday?
We usually end up with an additional 15 or so between the contract drivers and designers.
What is it about flowers that are so intertwined with love and romance?
Nature. Flowers just make you feel better. So many people, after they have cleaned their condo or home, they buy flowers because it adds that extra something to your life. They just make you feel happy.
How many long stem, red roses do you go through each Valentine's Day?
Oh. It's a lot… Thousands.
What is the most common delivery?
A dozen long stem roses. We do the plush items and a lot of ballons, and there are a lot of other specials we do, but the biggest seller is the long stem roses. And also the long stem colors. It is always interesting, because when it comes to this holiday, I think a lot of people tend to go more to a florist than say, a grocery store or the people on the street because of the longevity of our roses.
What are some of the more interesting personal messages you've delivered with the flowers?
Al, a Green Bench employee: I can’t say. You won’t be able to print them… I have learned that you never assume anything… You just let the customer tell you what they want.
How many people send flowers anonymously?
Not as many as you would think. People want credit for what they do, but also, when we do the anonymous thing in this day and age we always get a phone call from the recipient… It is not a good thing anymore. Years ago it used to be. It was like, 'Oh, someone is thinking of me.' Now it is more, 'Oh, is someone stalking me.' We will do it. We do anything the customer wants, but the recipient always calls us. It is not a good thing. It is not a fun, romantic thing.
Do you have nightmares about Valentine’s Day?
I used to. I think, the longer you are in the business, you just go with it and laugh. We actually have a lot of fun in here. We have the same people who come back each year. One time though, I had a driver call and the delivery van's door fell clean off. This was no jalopy. It was a nice vehicle. So that was interesting. But, everything was fine. We just sent another van out. You never know what is going to happen. You are here at 4 in the morning and you work late. We try to start early. Some florists work through the night and sleep in the shop. We do not.
Does anyone ever send you flowers on Valentine’s Day?
You know, actually, they do. My husband always plants flowers for me.
Do women ever send their husbands or boyfriends flowers?
I've noticed more and more women will send a single stem rose the day before in the hopes that their partner will reciprocate the gesture.
Green Bench Flowers, 10 4th Street North, St Petersburg, FL 33701. (727) 823-1414. GreenBench.com
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This article appears in Feb 2-8, 2012.