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You Gotta Love It
It must be serious if you spend
By Suzanne Tswei
that kind of money ($87.50)
for a Valentine's Day
bouquet
Star-BulletinA rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, except on Valentine's Day when it becomes a declaration of love. And if you are waiting until today to find roses for your sweetheart, you had better hurry.
"I don't know what we'll have left over," said George Shikuzawa, manager of Fujikami Florist on Pensacola Street. "I am sure we'll have plenty of flowers for Valentine's Day. Undoubtedly we'll have roses, too. But I can't say what we'll have left. We can't promise that we'll have everything you want."
And when you find the roses today, get ready to pay. Fujikami charges $87.50 for a dozen long-stemmed South American roses arranged in a tall vase with greenery and other extra touches.
At Beretania Florist nearby, a similar dozen costs $90. A single long-stemmed rose runs about $6.50 at both stores. If you are lucky, you might find roses left at Costco Wholesale, where they were selling during the weekend for about $20 a dozen.
Red tulips have been favored substitutes for red roses, Fujikami said, and cheaper, too. A dozen red tulips in a nice vase go for about $45 at his two shops.
Every year it's the same story, the florists said. Those who plan ahead get what they want and when they want it, and procrastinators get whatever they can and learn to deal with the consequences."Monday is the day we'll have lines forming," said Fujikami, who opened his shops at 7 a.m. today. "It's going to be busy. No doubt about it. And some people will be upset because they can't get what they want -- especially deliveries, they are out of the question. All the deliveries were booked way in advance."
Roses, or other flowers or gifts, are extravagant statements that can get the message of love across more effectively than words, Fujikami said. But just buying the gifts doesn't quite do the job. Having them delivered to the right place is just as important.
"Would you want the flowers delivered to the office, where everyone can see it? Or would you send it to your home, where only you can see it? If you are going to spend that kind of money, what would you choose?" asks Fujikami, a veteran observer of Valentine's rituals.
June Nakamoto of Beretania Florist added room yesterday for 30 more deliveries today. She also had 18 dozen roses left. "I think we are the only florist left who can still make deliveries," she said yesterday. But the deliveries and roses were selling fast and may not be available to last-minute customers today.
Deliveries will be possible only for late in the day, she said, adding patience, as well as love, is a virtue. "Customers will have to understand. Valentine's is all day. You don't have to celebrate as soon as you get up in the morning. You have all day to celebrate. As long as you get the flowers on that day, you've celebrated."The point is not to panic, the florists advise. Go early to get the best selection and be prepared to deliver them yourself.
"There are going to be desperate souls who walk in (today.) But there are going to be more desperate souls on the phone because they can't come down here. There will be men and women, both ... but I'll grant you that seven out of 10 will be men," Shikuzawa said.
Darren Medeiros, business manager of New City Nissan, isn't desperate for flowers this year. Medeiros, who describes himself as traditional and romantic, ordered roses weeks ago but still could not get them delivered. He'll be picking up a bouquet of a dozen deluxe dark pink roses mixed with six yellow roses and taking them home to his girlfriend at the end of the day.
"I get the flowers early. Always. I buy flowers for her all through the year, but on Valentine's I make sure not to get her red roses. I try to do something different," said Medeiros, who has sent Valentine roses every year to Romy Hashimoto, his sweetheart since high school.
"But I did screw up this year. I didn't make (dinner) reservations three months ahead. Now I don't have a dinner reservation. I don't know where we are going for dinner."
