Bouquets for Valentine’s Day and blooming plants to brighten every day
Roses are red …
Valentine’s Day bouquets and custom floral arrangements
By Matt Ingersoll
Bouquets are simply defined as arranged bunches of flowers, making the varieties in what you can include seemingly limitless.
“It’s a term that covers a lot of different design styles,” said Brad Harrington, floral artist and owner of Harrington Flowers in Londonderry. “An arrangement in a vase can be considered a bouquet, or you could also have a hand-wrapped bouquet.”
Business will kick into high gear for Harrington Flowers and many other local florists and flower shops on Feb. 14 — throughout the day, most will offer bouquets of roses or other flowers you can choose from, either in the form of a pre-set arrangement online or flowers you can hand-pick if you visit in person.
Jacques Flower Shop in Manchester, for instance, will be open extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day to accommodate its expected influx of Valentine’s Day orders.
“I would say that the actual day on Valentine’s Day is neck and neck with Mother’s Day in terms of business in the store, from people coming in and the phones ringing to the internet,” said Adam Godbout, who runs Jacques’ day-to-day operations with his sister, Aimee. “We take orders right up until 4 or 5 [p.m.] on Valentine’s Day, and get those delivered locally.”
While it can be easy to click through an order form online, Godbout said it oftentimes doesn’t compare to what you can discover when you visit a flower shop in person.
“I think there are a lot of folks that come in on Valentine’s Day just thinking they’re going to buy a dozen roses, but then they come in and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, what is this, I’ve never seen this or heard of this,’” he said. “You can come in and hand-pick whatever you want. We have lots of folks that will just go right into our cooler and just pick one of these, two of these and three of those and they’ll bring them up to us and say, ‘Can you put these together.’ … Some people just sort of leave it up to us, which is always a great choice too.”
At Apotheca Flowers in Goffstown, owner Alyssa Van Guilder will open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, a weekday she is normally closed, to accept Valentine’s Day orders.
“It’s definitely one of the more exciting holidays for us,” Van Guilder said. “I just think it’s something exciting to look forward to, and it’s kind of almost like a light toward the end of the tunnel of winter. … I also think flowers just give us a unique opportunity to cultivate connection. Obviously, it’s definitely a holiday for lovers, but love goes well beyond that.”
Flower power
Red roses are far and away the most popular selling flower for Valentine’s Day, Godbout said.
“Whether it’s six, 12 or 24, that’s sort of the go-to for both guys and gals. I don’t know if that’s just ingrained in our culture, but that’s what they gravitate toward,” he said. “But if someone comes in and says, ‘I like the roses, but I want something more unique,’ then I may offer them some fresh-cut flowers that we have from some local New Hampshire growers. … If it’s for ladies I may recommend some pinks or purples. We have lilies and Gerber daisies that are really popular. We’ve also got some local snapdragons and calla lilies that we always run out of.”
This time of year, he added, is also prime season for bulb flowers like tulips and hyacinth.
“They remind you of spring, so it’s something different and unique as well,” he said. “I would say our roses should last between five and seven days, but obviously we offer other flowers that are going to outlast those a little bit, depending on conditions of course, so that would be your daisies, your regular lilies [and] your cala lilies.”
Each year, Harrington Flowers will arrange several preset flower designs to choose from for Valentine’s Day that go beyond a standard bouquet of red roses — one is called “There’s ‘Gnome-body’ Like You.”
“We look at trendy things,” Harrington said. “Right now everyone loves gnomes. My wife is crazy about them, so we found these little Valentine’s Day gnomes and we just incorporated them into a Valentine’s Day-themed arrangement with stock flowers … and some pink Gerbers and peachy orange roses.”
Others include an arrangement Harrington called “Heartbreaker,” featuring a collection of fuschia roses, Gerber daisies, eucalyptus and hydrangeas; and “Bananas for You,” adorned with tulips, white hydrangea, roses and a stuffed monkey.
Apotheca, Van Guilder said, will also always sell its fair share of red roses, in addition to some early spring blooms, like anemone and ranunculus.
“We have a cooler that our customers can walk inside of, and we definitely try to curate it so that you can’t fail,” she said. “We’ve got a couple of different curated pallets that you’re able to pick your own blooms [from] if you want, and kind of create a design that speaks to you based on what we’re offering. … One element that I feel like just keeps getting more and more popular … are the dried flowers, like bunny tails and preserved ruscus.”
An ongoing impact
Like for just about every other industry, the pandemic has created all kinds of challenges for florists, from flower shortages to increased prices on goods.
“Some product is just untouchable at times,” Harrington said. “Peonies right now, their cost is about $30 for a five-stem bunch, and that’s just wholesale. I mean, it’s priced itself out, which is a shame because it’s one of the flowers that I like to have [for] Valentine’s Day, and this year I just totally cut it out.”
While he was able to keep the costs of red roses the same as last year, Harrington said they’re still up about 20 cents a stem compared to where they were pre-pandemic.
“That doesn’t seem like a lot, but we may buy probably 1,400 roses, so when you add that in and the fact that we’re getting fuel surcharges now, it’s a big increase,” he said.
In fact, ongoing inconsistencies in the supply chain have compelled Harrington Flowers to regularly offer a Designer’s Choice arrangement option, which features a bouquet of whichever types of quality flowers Harrington can obtain at a given time that he can sell at a fair price point. His Valentine’s Day offerings this year also include a themed Designer’s Choice arrangement.
“It’s an honest selection of what I can represent,” he said. “Basically, they’re flowers that I didn’t advertise, [but] if I see them in person and they look good, then I’ll buy them. … It’s definitely taken a little bit for our customer base to get used to it, but now a lot of them are ordering the Designer’s Choice, because they know that I’m going out every morning and I’m hand-selecting fresh flowers to put together that are good quality flowers.”
Van Guilder said she has especially felt the pandemic’s impacts on the wedding side of her business at Apotheca.
“We have contracts that are sometimes two years old with old pricing,” she said. “Our flowers are suddenly much more expensive, and so I think that was definitely one of the bigger challenges for us, was … how do we keep our promises to clients and provide the level of products that they’re used to, while making sure that we’re still generating a profit.”
One of their solutions, she said, was creating mockup centerpieces for clients.
“Ninety percent of the time, they can expect exactly what they’re seeing at the mockup on their wedding day,” she said. “Rather than selling specific flower varieties, we’ve had to just sell … a look and a feel, because we don’t know for sure that we’ll be able to get that specific flower like we have in the past.”
New Hampshire florists and flower shops
Here’s a list of southern New Hampshire shops and florists offering their own arrangements of roses and other flowers for Valentine’s Day.
• A&A Floral 58 Range Road, Windham, 952-0085, aafloralnh.com
• Amelia Rose Florals 704 Milford Road, Merrimack, 402-1020, ameliaroseflorals.com
• Anne’s Florals & Gifts 142 Lowell Road, No. 6, Hudson, 889-9903, annesfloralsgifts.com
• Apotheca Flowers 24C Main St., Goffstown, 497-4940, apothecaflowershoppe.com
• Celeste’s Flower Barn 580 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-5835, celesteflowerbarn.com
• Chalifour’s Flowers 46 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8844, chalifours.com
• Countryside Florist 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 432-4110, countrysidefloristnh.com
• Cranberry Barn Flower Shop 232 Park Ave., Hopkinton, 746-3963, cranberrybarnflowers.com
• Crystal Orchid Florist 45 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 627-1925, crystalorchidflorist.com
• Flora Bella 20 River Road, Suncook, 485-7874, florabellanh.com
• Flower Outlet 165 Amherst St., Nashua, 883-7676, nashuafloweroutlet.com
• Flowers on the Hill 290 Derry Road, Suite 11, Hudson, 883-7080, flowersonthehill.net
• Ford Flower Co. 83 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-9955, fordflower.com
• Fortin Gage Flower & Gift Shop 86 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-3371, fortingage.com
• Harrington Flowers 539 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-4030, harringtonflowers.com
• Jacques Flower Shop 712 Mast Road, Manchester, 625-6153, jacquesflowers.com
• Lily Flower Floral Designs 161 Main St., Pembroke, 419-0677, lilyflowerfloral.com
• Manchester Flower Studio 388 Wilson St., Manchester, 669-6060, manchesterflowerstudio.com
• Marshall’s Florist & Gifts 151 King St., Boscawen, 796-2272, marshallsflowersandgifts.business.site
• Merrimack Flower Shop & Greenhouse 4 Railroad Ave., Merrimack, 424-3145, merrimackflowershop.com
• Nicole’s Greenhouse & Florist 91 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-8294, nicolesgreenhouseandflorist.com
• PJ’s Flowers & Weddings 176 Route 101, Unit B3, Bedford, 471-3411, pjsflowers.net
• Rimmon Heights Florist 150 Kelley St., Manchester, 935-9485, rimmonheightsflorist.com
• Shirley’s Flowers & Sweets 138 Concord St., Nashua, 595-2208, shirleysflowersandsweets.com
• Ultimate Bouquet 64 Freetown Road, Raymond, 244-2749, ultimatebouquet.com
• Willows on Elm 377 Elm St., Manchester, 606-1688, willowsflorist.com
• Woodman’s Florist 469 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3545, woodmansflorist.com
• Works of Heart Flowers 109 Main St., Wilton, 654-1065, worksofheartflowers.com
Blooms for a year
Give longer-lasting flowers with a potted houseplant
By Katelyn Sahagian
While a dozen roses is one of the most standard Valentine’s Day gifts, fresh-cut flowers last only a week or two. Buying potted plants hasn’t always been the Valentine’s tradition, but some gardening centers and nurseries are seeing an uptick in their popularity on the holiday.
“[We] have seen in recent years that potted plant sales on Valentine’s Day have gone up [more] than previous years,” said Shane Robinson, owner of Sunny Valley Greenhouse and Garden Center in Amherst. “I see both sides of it, but potted plants are the gift that keeps on giving, versus fresh-cut flowers that, in two weeks, you’re either drying or throwing them away.”
When asked about plants that are good for beginners and still nice Valentine’s gifts, Robinson said he usually sees people go for orchids. He said that, despite the belief that they can be temperamental, the most common variety of the exotic bloom is fairly low-maintenance, requiring a humid and warm temperature and watering once a week.
In addition to a sweet smell, plants bring a certain feeling to the atmosphere around them, said Alexis Clark, who owns The Terracotta Room in Manchester with Nicole Rocha. She said when customers enter the shop they’ll comment on how relaxing the atmosphere is, or how fresh and clean the air feels.
“Almost all plants purify in some way,” Clark said. “Greenery is just good to have in your home. It’s life and they carry that energy.”
Clark and Rocha said that they both favor philodendrons and plants from that family due to how forgiving they can be. Clark joked that her philodendron won’t croak on her if she forgets to water it after a week.
Rocha agreed, adding that even people like her, with busy schedules between work and family life, can keep them alive. She said plants add a natural comfort, especially in cities.
“You just need two plants and it’ll transform the room,” Rocha said, “and [plants] make you happy.”
Other plants recommended for beginners included the Zanzibar gem — also called the ZZ plant — and snake plants. Flowering potted plants with low maintenance requirements that Lisa Cartier, the greenhouse manager at Osborne’s Farm & Garden Center of Hooksett, recommended were African violets, flowering anthuriums and cyclamen.
“Owning plants should be a relaxing and fun hobby,” Cartier said. “A potted plant will give you years of enjoyment and memories.”
New Hampshire nurseries and greenhouses
Amherst Garden Center
303 Route 101, Amherst, amherstgardencenter.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bedford Fields
331 Route 101, Bedford, bedfordfields.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Black Forest Nursery
209 King St., Boscawen, blackforestnursery.com
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brochu Nurseries and Landscaping
121 Commercial St., Concord, brochunursery.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cole Gardens
430 Loudon Road, Concord, colegardens.com
Hours: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Demers Garden Center
656 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, demersgardencenter.com
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Faulkner’s Landscaping and Nursery
1130 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, faulknersnursery.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Freshwater Farms
1 Kip Cam Road, Atkinson, freshwaterfarmsflorist.com
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The House by the Side of the Road
370 Gibbons Hwy., Wilton, housebyshop.com
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Knotted Finds
707 Milford Road, Merrimack, theknottedfinds.com
Hours: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
Lake Street Garden Center
37 Lake St., Salem, lakestreet.com
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Osborne’s Farm and Garden Center
258 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, osbornesfarm.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Shady Hill Greenhouse and Nursery
1 Adams Road, Londonderry, shadyhillgreenhouses.com
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Springlook Farm
112 Island Pond Road, Derry, springlookfarm.com
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunny Valley Greenhouse and Garden Center
42 Route 101A, Amherst, sunnyvf.com
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tanglewood Gardens
424 Route 101, Bedford, tanglewoodgardens.wordpress.com
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Terracotta Room
1361 Elm St., Suite 102, Manchester, theterracottaroom.com
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Featured photo: Apotheca Flowers in Goffstown. Courtesy photo.
