California Flower Mall Packed By Bouquet-Buyers Trying To Impress On Mother's Day
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Flower mania hit the Southland Sunday and it's no surprise.
It's Mother's Day -- the day we stop to celebrate the special woman who gave birth to us. And even if she says "Please don't get me anything!" we all know that means "You better get me something or else!"
Flowers are a good something. And as CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Greg Mills found out a lot of people agree that flowers is always a good way to go.
In fact, for some shoppers, they were thinking of more than just one person.
Natalie Gonzalez was just such a shopper.
"My mom and my mother-in-law as well," says Gonzalez.
Brandon James was another.
"For my daughter's mother and for my mother," he said.
Mills reported from the California Flower Mall -- known for discounts on days like these.
James wasn't looking for discounts as much as he was looking to spend to impress.
"Yeah I'm going for the big stuff," he says.
What's a few extra bucks to repay a debt that can never be repaid.
"My mom is a beautiful black woman. She's very independent. She taught me a lot," James says.
To accommodate mom-loving sons and devoted daughters, the California Flower Mall in Downtown Los Angeles opened at 4:30 a.m. Saturday and stayed open all the way through Mother's Day.
Talk about putting the petal to the metal.
Mills talked to sales clerk Valentina Bustos who said she arrived for work at 1 a.m.
Was there anybody here, she was asked. "Yeah, there was a lotta people here," she said laughing, "Yeah, it is crazy."
There were some big displays and some had big price tags.
Showing mom you love her -- a lot -- can come at a price. One glass vase, Mills saw, with dozens of roses cost $300. That's a lot of love.
And there were plenty of bargains, too. The Flower Mall has many flowers stored in refrigerated rooms -- 38 degrees with moist air -- to keep the delicate flowers fresh as ...well, a daisy.
And if you want to keep the flowers fresher at home longer? The owner of the Mall has some practical advice.
"Just a little 7-Up, a little sugar water in there, or carbonated sugar water, and it gives a little extra zest to your flowers," says Marc Chatoff.
With all this love for mom, you might be surprised to find out that Mother's Day is still not the number one sales day for flowers -- Mother's Day ranks behind Valentine's Day for sales.
Don't tell mom.