HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Global supply chain issues are impacting yet another industry, floral design. As Valentine’s Day approaches, local businesses that sell floral arrangements are adjusting so they can best serve customers.
Ron Cooper, the co-owner of In Bloom Floral Design Studio, says florists across the nation are dealing with supply chain issues.
“Hydrangeas, roses, peonies, exotic flowers that come from all over the world. Most of our flowers, you know, come from Holland, California, South America,” says Cooper.
He also said many places that grow flowers had worker shortages during a wave of COVID over the summer. Once flowers are imported into the United States to ports in Florida, California and New York they then have to be trucked across the country to local flower shops.
Cooper says they will be ready for the Valentine’s Day rush. They’ve got buckets prepped and ribbons pre-tied.
“We’ll receive flowers in tonight, we’ll start conditioning those flowers so they’re very hydrated before we start working with them and putting them in a vase or container. So we’ll start the cutting hydration process today and tomorrow and then we’ll start making bouquets and putting them in our cooler on Friday,” Cooper explained.
Cooper said the best thing that has come out of the pandemic and supply chain disruptions is their use of local suppliers.
“And we have been so lucky in that it has produced something really wonderful and it’s local growers. Five years ago there were not that many, Brosemer Farms she’s been in the business for a while. But there wasn’t a lot of local growers it has kind of developed out of the need,” says Cooper.
Cooper said having local sources as backup means they know they won’t run out before the big day.
“So the flowers that we have here grown by our local growers are mainly things that they can greenhouse grow this time of year,” he said.
Cooper says all the adapting and planning ahead is to ensure one day is filled with extra love.
In Bloom says while it’s helpful if you pre-order for your special someone, they are also prepared to serve people with last-minute love requests as well.
