Issue date: February 10, 1999

Flower power: Local florists pick hot trends for this season Flower power: Local florists pick hot trends for this season (February 10, 1999)

By JENNIFER DESAI

For the rest of the year, the most menacing thing about flowers is the hay fever they can cause in some people. But every February, when Valentine's Day rolls around and the anxiety sets in, local florists find themselves acting as therapists, advisers, and -- especially late in the afternoon on The Day itself -- lifesavers.
"People get really anxious about Valentine's Day," explains Cindy Smith, who runs Cindy's Flowers and Gifts in Menlo Park. "Everybody gets a little nervous about what to give, and what they might be getting."
Jeffery Adair, of J Floral Art in downtown Menlo Park, agrees. "It gets really crazy. Usually we get businessmen coming in after work, and they're pretty desperate to grab something. They just say, 'Do whatever you can.'"
The bad news for the florally challenged this year is that Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday -- and many florists are telling customers to order ahead. "Valentine's Day is really a last-minute shopping experience for most people," says Alan Aldrich of Menlo Florist. "But because of the President's Day holiday, delivery orders have spread out over several days. People seem to like getting their flowers at their place of business, rather than at home."
The good news? Florists point to a wider range of choices than ever before -- and while roses are still the mainstay of Valentine trade, tulips, lilies, and wildflowers are becoming popular alternatives. Romance may be priceless, but with a dozen long-stemmed roses averaging $60, it's good to know that pricelessness can be conveyed in less expensive forms.
No bed of roses

"In general, people are becoming more trusting of florists, and more adventuresome about what a bouquet can be made of," says Rick Davis of In Any Event in Woodside. "The real trends are toward lilies and tulips, especially in monochromatics. All-white bouquets of tulips are popular. Also, there's less of a strictly Valentine theme: I mean, not everyone wants a bright bouquet of reds and pinks in their house."

Ms. Smith suggests vibrant "L.A. hybrid" lilies, which come in a range of showy sunset colors, and vases of spring flowers like daffodils. "Daffodils and lilies really cheer people up at this time of the winter," she says. "Also, scent is important: tuberoses and hyacinth appeal to people who like scented bouquets but maybe aren't so fond of roses."

"There are new hybrids of carnation which are really exciting," says Mr. Adair of the flower several other downtown florists scorned when asked. "There are some carnations with ruffled edges, and there's a lime green one a customer recently ordered for a special function. I might not recommend it for a Valentine bouquet, though."

He does, however, recommend exotics. "There are always a few people who order amaryllis, or orchids like phalenopsis, which is a smart choice. Exotics look good in the vase, and they last for a long time."

Wars of the roses

For traditionalists, it's roses or nothing. But when it comes to roses, where the roses were grown is a thorny issue. Some local florists insist on domestic roses, as a kind of patriotism; others swear by the new South American varieties.

Mr. Davis counts himself in the second camp. "We used to shy away from roses," he says, "because with domestics, the quality just wasn't there. The Ecuadorian roses are a more attractive flower, they're about three times bigger, and they last longer." Mr. Adair, too, favors the South Americans, because the colors are more unusual and the shapes are "bigger, beefier -- more interesting."

Other florists aren't so sure. Mr. Aldrich of Menlo Florist prefers domestic roses for economic, as well as philosophic reasons. "The South American roses are sometimes larger, but they're more expensive. We also try to stay with California roses because we like to support in-state farms."

Ms. Smith, too, favors domestics: "We've been buying from this one source since 1983. They grow the flowers hydroponically, and they're big, hardy flowers. We ordered roses once from Colombia, and had problems with them -- we like the hydroponic ones best," she says.

Color is also a source of contention. While all the florists said they'll try to keep as many colors of roses in stock as they can, some are stockpiling more pure red roses than others. Marcos, of All Seasons Florists, estimates his stocks will be "about 90 percent red," while Pat Lee of Portola Valley Country Florist could say only "more red roses than normal."

"I think the red roses phenomenon is really passe," says Mr. Davis, who prefers apricots and whites, though he will have reds in stock for purists.

"Women seem to prefer peach or champagne-colored roses," concedes Ms. Smith, "though men seem to go for the red ones, when they're buying for women."

What really sets downtown florists' collective teeth on edge, however, is babies' breath. "We don't use it at all; it looks so 1950s," Ms. Davis says. J Floral Arts doesn't use the familiar filler, either. Mr. Davis is even more of a purist: "People were a little appalled at first that I didn't carry gladiolas, or carnations, or babies' breath," he says. "It's not so shocking now."

Multiple deliveries

As the Silicon Valley economy booms, local florists have said their business is blooming -- and they expect the holiday trade to be no exception. "Because the holiday is on Sunday, some people are double-ordering to have flowers sent to the work place but also something for the day itself," says Ms. Smith.

The spending isn't just by men, for women, either: Valentine's Day has become an equal-opportunity expenditure. "People are spending more on the little luxuries, including flowers," Mr, Adair says. "And don't think it's just men. Women buy men flowers for Valentine's Day, but not necessarily roses. They go more for vibrant colors: red or yellow tulips or lilies."