Did You Forget Valentine’s Day?

Oh no – Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday! As the last few hours before Valentine’s Day quickly tick off the clock, now is the time when even the most hard-core procrastinators start to panic. If you still haven’t found that perfect gift, or if you simply forgot (it happens), no worries! You still have some outstanding options left, as long as you know where to look.

2 Dozen Red Roses Arranged by Tipton & Hurst

Ordering a gift online and having it shipped is just too risky of an option this late in the game. Even with costly expedited shipping fees, there is still some lingering doubt that the correct item will be sent to the correct place at the right time. With so little time left and so little room for error, this option will probably end up being even more stressful than figuring out what to get in the first place.

Your best option now is to find someone who can help – and find them fast! Time may no longer be on your side, but luckily you have friends in the business who are happy to assist you with finding the perfect gifts – and they’re only a phone call away. Want something more than just flowers? Tipton & Hurst has you covered with balloons, teddy bears, chocolates, wine, champagne, and so much more!

Bunches of Love Hand Wrapped Bouquet by Tipton & Hurst

Best of all, after you make that phone call you can rest assured, knowing that the perfect gift is already on its way to being carefully created, packaged and hand-delivered to your valentine in time for Valentine’s Day.

Our customer service representatives here at Tipton & Hurst are experts on last-minute gift ideas. Their “Yes We Can” commitment not only makes for a stress-free Valentine’s Day shopping experience but also makes you look like a hero in the eyes of your valentine for being so thoughtful and creative. It will be our little secret that you waited until the last minute!

Pictured here are a few of our most popular choices.

Do Roses Cost More on Valentine’s Day?

Is it true that roses cost more in early February than they do the rest of the year? The short answer is yes, but not just for consumers. Many people are led to believe that flower retailers artificially raise prices to stick it to desperate consumers, when if fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Yes, roses cost more this time of year, but they also cost more for the florist, and the wholesaler, all the way down to the grower. The main reason is that the incredible demand for long-stem red roses on a single day puts a tremendous strain on the entire industry, and that affects everyone involved in the complex process of bringing fresh flowers to your door on Valentine’s Day.

In order for growers to meet the annual demand for red roses, they must time the growth of their flowers. This is accomplished by altering the rose plants’ growth cycle to optimize the harvest for February 14. By doing so, the growers must interrupt everyday production for several weeks in order to produce a bumper crop at precisely the right time. Unfortunately, the cost of stopping everyday production comes at a price, and that gets passed on down the line.

Is that the only reason?

That’s one reason for the price increase, but many additional factors come into play before the flowers reach the consumers. For starters, the unusually large harvest of roses can swell up to three times the normal volume that is typical for other times of the year. Since roses are processed manually, this necessitates hiring temporary laborers to help harvest and package the roses. Once the roses are ready to be shipped, importers are not only forced to pay more for the extra needed cargo space, but also for the extra trucks and drivers necessary to handle the extra volume.

Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the years for florists, but our preparation for this holiday begins weeks – if not months – in advance. In order to meet demand, we must hire additional help, work longer hours, and rent additional delivery vans in order to make sure all the orders are delivered on or before the 14th.

Nobody likes to see the annual price spike for roses, but unfortunately, it’s an unavoidable result of supply and demand. With an increasingly crowded marketplace dominated by online-only flower shippers, the profit margins for local florists are razor thin compared to many other times of the year.

So, what’s the good news?

The good news is that we work very hard at Tipton & Hurst to keep costs low and prices competitive while never sacrificing quality or service for our customers. We understand the importance of this holiday to our customers and their loved ones and always do our best to exceed their expectations.

Whether it’s a dozen red roses or something else you had in mind for your sweetheart, we’re here to help you find the perfect gift. Remember, the earlier you order, the better! Do yourself a favor by not waiting until the last minute when items are picked over and delivery times are full. Make this Valentine’s Day one they’ll never forget, with the help of your friends at Tipton & Hurst.

Can’t Go Wrong with Flowers from Tipton & Hurst – as featured on AJ Wears Clothes blog

Tipton & Hurst was recently featured in the Valentine Gift Guide article on the popular fashion blog AJ Wears Clothes.

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When listing the best presents to give for Valentine’s Day, Tipton & Hurst was the only florist mentioned:

“Flowers are always the ultimate Valentine, and now that Tipton Hurst has joined The Promenade, it’s easier than ever to pick up a bouquet. They have cash & carry in store, or you can order ahead of time and pick up – or better yet, have them deliver! They also have an impressive selection of gift baskets.”

Read the full article here.

The Committed Man’s Guide to Valentine’s Day Survival

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 11.03.14 AMFor the man who has the perfect person in his life, but is still searching for that perfect gift this Valentine’s Day, Tipton & Hurst is offering a free guide you can download instantly.

In this guide, you’ll find 10 gifts we offer that are sure to impress, dazzle and surprise. Don’t give the same old thing.  Shake it up this year.  And let Tipton & Hurst show you how.

Download the Valentine’s Day survival guide here!

Don’t forget to shop our Valentine’s Day gifts to find all of the gifts listed in our guide. And once you’re found the perfect surprise, order online or contact us today.

 

Valentine’s Day Decor: Heart Wreath Designs with Chris Norwood

With most of winter at our backs, but still a ways to go until spring, you might be wondering, “What’s something fun, seasonal and special I can hang on my door?” You can’t do Christmas wreaths, it’s too early for a spring wreath, and a bare, naked door just won’t do. Fortunately, Valentine’s Day decor can fill up that void easily enough.

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, Chris Norwood has a few ideas for creating easy, but stellar-looking heart wreaths you can hang on your door this time of year. There are several materials you can use, but Chris suggests using either pink wire or curly willow branches. They’re two very different styles, especially if you’re going for a fun, festive attitude or a rustic, down-to-earth design.

If you go with the pink wire, start by creating a single, wide circle of the wire (a sort of “lasso”). After four or five loops, cut off the wire and begin twisting one side of the circle. With the side that is still rounded, press it in the middle to create a heart shape. Make two of these with the wire, then interlock them by meshing together the layers of wire. If you go with the curly willow branches, you won’t need to twist the end to create the bottom tip of the heart. But you will need to lightly break the individual branches, forcing them into a uniform heart shape at the top. If you’re using curly willow, you won’t have to worry about the branches snapping off unless you peel away the bark.

Once you’re finished, be sure to hang them up where a whole lot of people can see. After all, even if it didn’t take you long, you still want your hard work recognized.

You can watch the video below for more details. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for several Valentine’s Day specials coming to Tipton Hurst very soon.

Wholesale flowers

Valentine’s Day: A History

Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly known as Valentine’s Day  is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them. It is the second most celebrated holiday around the world second to New Year’s Day.

St. Valentine’s Day began as a celebration of one or more early Christian saints. The most popular story associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer. Legend states that before his execution he wrote “from your Valentine” as a farewell to her. Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion as well as in the Lutheran Church.

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers and sending greeting cards.

The history of giving your loved one Valentine’s Day flowers comes from the old-fashioned custom of sending floral bouquets to pass on non-verbal messages. Introduced in the 18th century, each flower had a specific meaning attached to it, making it possible to have an entire conversation using only flowers. Today, people continue to send flowers on special occasions or to express sentiments of love and admiration.

See our Tipton Hurst exclusive Valentine’s Day collection here and send flowers to your loved one this Valentine’s Day.