Posted: 2/20/07
A run on red roses
Mary Annís Floral a flurry of activity on Valentineís Day
By Andrew Miller
Interim News Editor
Red roses are the most common Valentineís Day order at Mary Annís Floral & Gift Shop, but every once in a while the shop gets a joker who places an order for dead flowers.
Dead flowers on Valentineís Day?
Presumably as an affront to an ex-girlfriend. Or perhaps just a practical joke to get a rise out of the wife, according to owner Mary Ann Schmitz, whoís been running the shop on Main Street in Caledonia for 55 years.
This year there were no requests for dead flowers, Schmitz said, but a few years back a gentleman had a bouquet of old, withered flowers delivered to a girlfriend. Then, about an hour later, he had fresh roses delivered to the same woman. Apparently the couple was able to patch things up. Or just enjoy a good laugh together.
With more than five decades of Valentineís Days under her belt, Schmitz runs a tight ship on Feb. 14. Valentineís Day is the second busiest day of the year at the shop, behind Motherís Day, and Schmitz has to plan accordingly.
She opens her doors an hour earlier in the morning, and stays open a few hours later. And she has a little extra help ó Aimee, Iris, Connie, Mary, Brenda, Ruth, Leota, Nikky and Rosie were all on hand this year to help fill orders.
The biggest order placed this year was for two dozen roses. The biggest Valentineís Day order Schmitz has ever filled was for six dozen roses. "I think it was the wife and him were having some troubles," she said.
By Schmitzís estimate, about 1,100 roses were sold on Valentineís Day last Wednesday. The weather has a lot to do with it, she said. A sunny, snowless day is a good omen on Feb. 14.
"I was so glad this morning when I saw the sun," Schmitz said. "When itís snowing, they donít come in. I think when they see the sun they like to buy flowers."
And if thereís one word to sum up Valentineís Day at the flower shop, itís "busy."
"Itís been a long, hard week," Schmitz said.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com