Amarillo florists preparing for influx of Mother's Day orders

Florists across Amarillo are preparing for Mother's Day, celebrated nationwide May 12, and the influx of orders coming in already ahead of the holiday, as well as the expected last minute shoppers hoping to celebrate those special women in their life.

Between spring weddings, prom, dance recitals, graduations and planting season, Amarillo florists are bombarded with orders and now even more so as Mother's Day grows near.

"Mother's Day is always big every year. It's bigger than Valentine's Day, which not many think, but everyone has a mother in their life and not everyone has a sweetheart. ... This is a special holiday where you can celebrate any mother in your life, whether it be their wife, mother, grandmother, aunt or whatever female figure that is special to you," said Mary Ruth Albracht, owner of Scott's Flowers.

According to local flower shops, they began preparing for this year's influx of Mother's Day orders as early as last year, anticipating the expected volume. For florist Kaitlin Garrett, lead designer for Avant Garden, they began enticing the masses as soon as last week, offering a 10% discount for early orders and having plans to begin delivering as soon as the Thursday before the big day to accommodate for the rise in orders.

"Preordering and staying ahead of schedule really helps us to prepare. One thing about the floral industry is you never know how many orders you will receive. One year you could sell less than the last, and the next you could be scrambling to get more flowers with the amount of orders coming in. But, the earlier you order, the more flower options and variety and accommodations we can make for you," Garrett said.

According to Albracht, Scott's Flowers began preparing for this year's Mother's Day orders in 2023, anticipating the number of orders and selecting flowers. Albracht said that many years ago, the flowers used to signify a person's mother.

"Years ago, 60 years ago, red flowers signified that your mother was living. White signifies that your mother was deceased, and many would order corsages so people knew. But that is just a thing of the past, and today, many order for their loved one bright spring colors," Albracht said.

Both local florists stated that although roses are always a favorite for every event, many opt for the "spring mix" for Mother's Day, and that many of their orders come from children living out of town wanting to send an order to their mother.

"The biggest seller is definitely a spring mix. Most every woman loves a garden, and it is around that time of year where we are coming out of winter and spring brings new life. Sometimes roses can seem a little overdone, but a mix with the fresh hydrangeas, peonies, tulips offers the best of every part of the floral world that you can," Garrett said.

In addition to the Mother's Day bouquets, Scott's Flowers also sees a rise in requests for Mother's Day balloons, chocolates, and stuffed animals, but many choose to opt out of the traditional cut flowers and go for plants. Albracht said that they commonly receive orders for their plants including petunias, geraniums and more, overall equating to almost the same volume of cut flowers ordered annually.

Garrett said that calling ahead also benefits buyers, because many flower shops are not open on Sunday and do not deliver that day. By placing an order in advance, customers not only receive more flower variety, but also the florists can help make and deliver an arrangement that their mothers can enjoy for the week leading up to the day.

"For many who are out of town, it is always hard to be away from your mom on Mother's Day, so we will commonly deliver a few days earlier, and they can enjoy them a little longer all through the week. Many flower shops are not open on Sunday. We commonly are not, but if we did have leftover stock, we would be open for those last minute shoppers. And at that point, we might be sold out of many of our flowers, so the earlier they order, the better the options they have," Garrett said.

Both flower shops said that having a general idea is always a great option but that giving them creative freedom really allows the florists to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces.

"Sometimes people may come in requesting a specific thing they saw on the internet, and it often includes items or flowers we don't have. By giving us creative freedom, we can give you something equally beautiful and more unique because it wouldn't be a duplicate," Albracht said.

To place your Mother's Day order with Scott's Flowers, call them at (806) 376-4679 or visit their store located at 700 N Polk St.

To enter for their upcoming giveaways and keep an eye out for their flash sales, follow Avant Garden on Facebook. To place a Mother's Day order with Avant Garden, visit them online at https://avantgardenamarillo.com/ or call them at (806) 322-3598 .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Flowers for mom: Amarillo florists urge placing early holiday orders