North Texas floral shop prepares for the Super Bowl of flowers: Valentine's Day
FORT WORTH – Even though football might be on your mind Sunday, another big holiday is just around the corner: Valentine's Day, or the Super Bowl for floral shops.
"We don't sleep," said Stephanie Leon, co-owner of Leon's Floral. "I slept for maybe an hour or two at most. My mom doesn't sleep at all. She's [the] lead designer."
Like Leon's Floral in Fort Worth, florists around the Metroplex are stocking up on roses, tulips, and daises for last-minute shoppers. For individuals who haven't ordered anything yet — sooner is better than later.
"It's definitely crazy," Leon explained. "This is my second year with an actual shop. I think I blacked out last year."
Leon's is a family business that started at home six years ago and is now in a brick-and-mortar location. The stress for Valentine's Day preparation starts months in advance.
"We start buying the end of December, beginning of January," Leon said. "And then, kind of keep buying throughout as demand comes in."
Leon said the shop has already received around 50 pre-orders and expects at least another 50 after the Super Bowl — on track with last year's numbers. A shipment of roses that arrived at DFW Airport on Sunday will help with fulfilling those orders.
"We do get them for holidays, shipped directly from Ecuador, just because they're the freshest, and just the easiest," Leon said. "But, we have maybe about 6,000 roses at the moment there."
However, inflation has hit the floral industry hard. Prices for some bouquets of roses have doubled, or even more.
Leon suggests placing orders early and considering alternatives to traditional bouquets if they're not budget-friendly.
"We definitely try to keep our prices fair just because they're getting a big thing," Leon said. "But we can only keep it so low."
With a wedding this weekend and the ongoing need for corsages for dances, Leon's Floral has more than just Valentine's Day to juggle this week.