Tarrah Richardson arranges a bouquet of flowers days for Valentine’s Day, one of the busiest days of the year for florists. Flowers come from local growers, South America, and Richardson’s own gardens. (Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle)Inside Newport Florist and Gift this week, Tarrah Richardson carefully arranges roses and greenery in a vase alongside her daughters, who cut and arrange their own bouquets for the deluge of Valentine’s Day orders they expect Friday and Saturday.
Ryan Richardson, who owns Newport Florist and Gift with his wife, Tarrah, cuts the stems off of a shipment of Fire N’ Ice roses before his wife and daughters arrange them in bouquets. (Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle)There are flowers everywhere — in buckets on the ground in front, inside the cold storage room, and along the tables as the family works. Richardson cuts a rose stem and relays a tip — as soon as you trim the flower it should be placed immediately in water to preserve freshness.
There are a lot of numbers involved with being a florist. You have to predict how many flowers you may need by comparing orders from prior years, you have to be organized and good at record keeping, said Richardson, who has owned the business with her husband, Ryan, since 2015.
This year, there are multiple factors driving how many flowers are needed and the anticipated orders, Richardson said. Based on sales around the holidays, they anticipate orders to be 10 percent less than last year because people have less money to spend on luxury goods. Valentine’s Day also falls on a weekend, which also means people are less likely to order flowers because they are out of town, she said.
Still, the Richardsons ordered 1,600 roses for Valentine’s Day – more than five times their usual weekly order. Some flowers come from local growers, including a farm in Siletz and Richardson’s own garden. They also ship in from South America. Flowers and vegetables even grow in the planters outside the shop along U.S. Highway 101.
“I try to order as much locally as I can,” Tarrah Richardson said.
— Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle
The days before Valentine’s Day are some of the busiest for those in the flower business. At Newport Florist and Gift, owners Tarrah and Ryan Richardson ordered 1,600 roses for to help fill customer orders. (Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle)Have a photo and short story to share? Send it here.
