Published: May 09, 2008 12:43 pm         

Local florists gear up

For 100 years people have been celebrating their mothers on a special day in May. And with all the hustle and bustle leading up to the big day, local florists have some sweet suggestions for gifts this year for Mother’s Day.

Tony Netherly is one the owners of All Seasons Flowers and Gifts located on 134 East Main Street in Morehead. According to this busy florist, customers already know what they want when they place an order for mom.

“Most customers who call to order or come in have an idea of what they want,” Netherly said. “Many have already gone online or seen what they want on television. So they already know what it would look like.”

Netherly says there are some occasions where customers do not know what they want to get for their mother. It is at those times that Netherly works to find out what the customer’s mother is like and what she collects.

“We have a decorative store,” he said. “We have candles, pictures and throws. People who come in generally see what they want and they buy that for their mother.”

All Seasons carries some gifts that appeal to mothers who have a sweet tooth. The store has a café where they sell sandwiches, chips and chocolates, as well as bottles of soda.

“Sometimes people want to buy their mother an assortment of fresh cut flowers and a box of chocolate truffles,” he said. “That way the person buying the gift gets to their mother’s heart two ways. Everyone likes chocolates.”

He said although gas prices have continued to soar, that has not affected his business. The floral delivery charge varies depending on the distance the order goes and whether or not the customer orders from the Teleflora company online.

Netherly said the biggest sellers for Mother’s Day are fresh cut flowers, bouquets and candy.

Nancy Ryan is the owner of Creative Touch located at 125 Candlelight Drive. Her store is busy throughout the week preparing for Mother’s Day. She said that the traditional bouquets are still a hit.

“Our biggest seller is still cut flowers,” Ryan said.

Other best selling items include any potted and blooming items, Ryan said. There are a variety of specialty items customers can purchase as Mother’s Day gifts. Many of those gifts include personal items.

“We sell a lot of lotions and baskets and things for them to pamper themselves with,” she said. “We have a lot of garden supplies. People like to buy a lot of those. We have small fountains and summer and silk arrangements.”

The economy has caused customers to purchase gifts that last, Ryan added. Many customers would rather purchase something their mother can keep and there are some who purchase the fresh cut flowers because they want to splurge.

“Many purchase the cut flowers because that is the only time of the year that their mother gets flowers,” she said.

However some items that were popular at one time are now obsolete.

“They do not purchase flower corsages like they used to and things,” she said. “The trends have kind of changed.”

People like to give gifts according to the personality of the person they are purchasing for. Many order items florists would not ordinarily think of. There are some unusual Mother’s Day orders they sometimes fill.

“We’ll go as far as we can to accommodate them,” Ryan said. “We have herb garden baskets because people are into the herb natural things. Fruit, snack and food baskets have become a trend.”

The florist just received a line of quilted handbags as well as garden angels, silk and live plants, picture frames and throws. Other items include candles, empty vases, candy baskets and Happy Mother’s Day balloons.

Gas prices have not affected her business either, Ryan said. She said she accommodates her customers by using smaller delivery vehicles to help with delivery costs. Creative Touch Flowers and Gifts can be contacted for orders at 784-1004.

Julie Ginter is a florist who works at Atkinson Florist. Among the gift items the shop sells are potted floral items that grow year after year.

“Fresh flowers sell best for Mother’s Day,” Ginter said. “We have balloons, plants and containers people like to keep and we do fruit baskets.”

•Atkinson Florist is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and later on holidays. Extended hours vary depending on the volume of orders pending for the day. The shop is closed on Sundays. Customers can contact Atkinson Florist at 784-5464.

•All Seasons Flowers and Gifts is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mother’s Day weekend hours are from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Customers can shop for flowers on the store website 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Web site is: www.allseasonflowers.com or customers can call in orders at 784-4933.