"When it falls on a Saturday, it's more challenging," says Jennifer Sparks, spokeswoman for the Virginia-based Society of American Florists. "There's more time to spend together, to go away for the weekend or to go out for dinner."
For some florists, the fact that Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday is hitting them harder this week than the economy.
"Normally, we're looking at about a 20 percent decrease when it falls on a weekend," says Steve Radebaugh of Radebaugh Florist, a fixture in Towson since 1924.
In fact, Radebaugh says, he's been "pleasantly surprised with the volume of orders we've taken to date."
He figured business would be down about 25 percent this year, and planned accordingly.
But he also did some aggressive marketing, offering customers $10 off for ordering early, sending out mailings that were delivered last weekend and entering into a partnership with a local restaurant.
The result?
Business started picking up on Saturday, Radebaugh says. And while he won't know anything for sure until tomorrow and Saturday - most people tend to wait until the last minute to order their Valentine's gifts - he's optimistic.
He's not alone. "We're about as busy as we usually are three or four days before the holiday," says Diane Pappas, co-owner of Miles Fleurs in Roland Park.
Many flower vendors are giving it a little extra push this year. A Society of American Florists survey showed 58 percent of the group's 12,000 members planned to market themselves more aggressively.
"They're making a point to show the range of options they do offer," Sparks says. "If you can't buy that dozen long-stem roses, there are so many options that can still be very special."
Valentine's Day always means big business for the nation's florists. Some 214 million roses were produced for Valentine's Day 2008, and about one of every four dollars spent on flowers for the entire year was spent for Feb. 14, according to figures from the florists society.
A dozen long-stem red roses continues to be the arrangement of choice, at an average cost this year of $74.27, down from $76.63 in 2008.
Locally, rose prices run the gamut, from $20 at some local food markets to $150 at the more high-end florists.
As an alternative, some of the lovestruck are scaling back their purchases.
"I've been getting orders for a lot of mixed arrangements," says Jennifer Kuhl, owner of Jennifer's Country Flowers in Glen Burnie. "Some of the guys, they're getting mixed arrangements, bouquets. They're still buying, but they might be buying a little less."
The florists themselves are hedging their bets, in many cases cutting back on or delaying their orders.
"People are being conservative this year," says Jim Seba, president of Baltimore-based Calvert Wholesale Florists. "They're waiting to see how many orders actually come in."
