Valentine’s Day, a holiday commonly associated with red roses, typically leads to many news stories starring florists, and this year was no exception. With the backdrop of an ongoing global pandemic, however, 2021’s coverage focused less on flowers’ coveted status during the romantic holiday and more on how — year-round — they convey emotions, bridge distances and offer comfort and cheer.

Here are just a few examples of stories that highlighted flowers’ emotional impact.

Selling love and romance in the time of COVID-19
The Boston Globe, February 12, 2021

An article in The Boston Globe examined how a few local businesses were approaching Valentine’s Day during a period of social restrictions, malaise and “an inordinate amount of time wearing sweatpants” (in other words, decidedly unromantic circumstances).

Among those featured: a matchmaker, several restaurateurs, the owner of a lingerie boutique, a stationer and Rick Canale, vice president of Exotic Flowers.

Canale, a former Floral Management Marketer of the Year winner, told reporter Janelle Nanos he expected a “robust” Valentine’s Day. “There has been a seismic change in the floral industry,” he said, explaining that consumers, unable to gather with their friends and family, have recognized flowers’ tremendous value in communicating emotions — be it love (romantic, familial or platonic), joy, pride, sorrow or support — and connecting people. “You see more thought” with enclosure card messages, he added. “It’s kind of what you want to say, but you’ve never said it before.”

Philadelphia’s florists have seen love on display throughout the pandemic. Valentine’s Day is no exception.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 11, 2021

Citing the Society of American Florists, The Philadelphia Inquirer referenced an increased demand for both flowers and plants since the pandemic began last winter. “Now more than ever, people are longing to safely connect with loved ones, to surprise friends who are struggling, and to make relatives smile amid a year of grief and pain. Many people have felt their mental health deteriorate due to isolation, racial trauma and unrest, economic hardship, and political division, and flowers have been proven to boost people’s moods, according to several psychological studies,” wrote author Erin McCarthy.

McCarthy spoke to several florists who echoed the same message: People care deeply about each other, and they’re turning to flowers to show it.

SAF member Patrick Kelly, owner of Stein’s, a 134-year-old flower shop, told McCarthy the pandemic has intensified the shared experience of loss. “We stand at the counter with our customers with tears rolling down our face,” he said. “Anything you hear on the news that people are dealing with, people are sending flowers for those purposes.”

Fellow SAF members Clare and Brendan Mulloy, owners of Matlack Florist, shared that much of their business over the last year has come from relatives of residents of nearby nursing homes and assisted living facilities who sent flowers in lieu of hugs they can’t give. In deference to those senders and recipients, the shop donated bouquets of tulips to nursing homes — one for every dozen rose arrangement purchased for Valentine’s Day.

Flower sales in full bloom
The Today Show, February 11, 2021

NBC’s Kerry Sanders reported from South Florida for a segment on The Today Show illustrating immense demand for Valentine’s Day flowers, the intricate logistics getting them from farms to consumers, and why the effort matters so much.

The coverage opened with a shot of SAF member Jet Fresh Flower Growers’ rose farm in Ecuador, then moved to Miami International Airport where “a coordinated high-speed ballet is more accelerated than ever.”

Michelle Polk, a PR representative for UPS Airlines, said the company was experiencing a 48 percent increase in floral cargo from Valentine’s Day 2020 and had added 73 flights to bring in approximately 91 million stems of flowers from South America.

Sanders also spoke with a customs agent, packing operator and florist (Jerry Supernaw, owner of Extra Touch Flowers in West Palm Beach), but perhaps the most moving soundbite came from former Navy pilot Bud Potts, who now flies for UPS and relishes the privilege to transport flowers. “This mission is very important for me — important for all of us in Miami — because we know we’re bringing happiness to people who really need it this year,” Potts said.

Florists trying to deliver bouquets, not flower-sicles ahead of Valentine’s Day
Fox 2 Now, St. Louis, Missouri, February 11, 2021

 St. Louis’s local Fox affiliate addressed some of the hurdles florists faced this year, including keeping employees and contractors socially distanced and protecting flowers from freezing temperatures during deliveries.

SAF member Walter Knoll, president of Walter Knoll Florist, which has four retail locations, two greenhouse/garden centers, an events studio and wholesale house, explained that completely contactless deliveries don’t work once temperatures dip below 25 degrees because the flowers freeze if left unclaimed on a doorstep for too long. Instead of delivering and dashing, drivers call or text ahead of arrival and, if no one is home, they bring the flowers back to the store until another attempt can be made. “Running a family business, there are problems every day and we are just problem solvers,” Knoll said of the extra work required.

Knoll, too, hammered home the point that people need and want flowers more than ever. “Because people are more isolated and have less opportunity to express sentiment, flowers are fulfilling that,” he said. “It has been what flowers have done since the beginning of time.”

Katie Vincent is the senior contributing writer and editor for the Society of American Florists.