Thorny proposition

Late Thursday night, florists around the world will get to take a second to breathe once again.

Thursday is Valentine's Day, and like Christmas to a little child, it is the most anticipated holiday of the year for florists.

Flowers -- most notably, red roses -- get delivered to nearly every office and residence on Feb. 14, and this year is already shaping up as a busy one for local florists.

"Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are the two busiest days for us, for sure," said Diane Willette of Floral Creations in Wasilla. "Valentine's Day is definitely the most complicated. With it being in the winter, that adds a little more to the complications."

Of all those deliveries to be made, most are of roses.

"I'd say that 70 percent of the flowers we sell for Valentine's Day are roses," said Kathy Rounds of Scentsations. "The red rose is the universal language of love, and that's what Valentine's Day is all about."

Rounds said preparations are made by florists well in advance of the big day.

Late last week, she was already gearing up for Thursday's main event, getting greens arranged in vases and taking care of all the details that can be made ahead of time, so that on Thursday, most of her time can be spent making deliveries and helping last-minute customers who come to the store.

"I had everything ordered last month already, and we've already started getting ready," Rounds said last Friday. "We ordered about 40 percent of the roses in red, and the rest in mixed colors. Red is definitely the most popular. Everything has a red and white theme."

Willette said roses make up a majority of her business for Valentine's Day as well. Last year, roses accounted for 45 percent of her total business in February, and she expects similar numbers again this year.

"Primarily, Valentine's Day is all roses," Willette said. "We do sell other arrangements with mixed flowers, too. Blooming plants are also big for Valentine's Day, if people want to do something a little different. We do some plush animals and other gifts, but mostly, it is roses, roses, roses."

While florists have been making preparations for weeks, customers, sometimes, do not plan more than a day ahead, as husbands and boyfriends everywhere can attest. Some even wait until the last minute -- imagine that -- and procrastination brings with it plenty of comedy for florists.

"Every year, it is the same scene the day of Valentine's Day," Willette said with a chuckle. "The guys come walking in with their heads down, and you can tell they don't want to be there. They wander to the front and they are very quiet and mumble they need some roses, and you can tell they don't want to be carrying around flowers at the last minute. It's pretty funny, because it happens every year.

"People really should plan ahead, because the actual day is crazy," Willette said. "We've made deliveries as late as 9 p.m. before."

Rounds said procrastinating results in less variety from which to pick.

"By the day before Valentine's, most of the selection is already gone," Rounds said. "You should plan ahead to get the best selection of roses and arrangements."

Those last-minute shoppers may want to consider something other than roses for the special someone this Valentine's Day.

While roses are the tradition, being different doesn't mean being any less romantic on Valentine's Day.

"Roses take special care and more attention. Sometimes, I try to talk the men into buying something similar, such as an arrangement with a few roses in it and a lot of other flowers," Rounds said.

"They get more for their money, and it lasts a little longer. There are some very, very special Teleflora keepsakes that make a great gift instead of roses," Rounds said. "There are a lot of options for Valentine's Day, and they all make special gifts."

What they mean:

Different colored roses have come to mean different things through the years. According to the Web site www.roses.com, the following meanings are associated with each color:

Red -- love and respect

Pink -- perfect happiness, grace, joy

Dark pink -- thankfulness

Yellow -- joy and friendship

White -- innocence and purity

Peach -- modesty

Orange -- fascination

Lavender -- enchantment

Red and white together -- unity