Winter weather can’t cool romance. How KC florists adjust to make Valentine’s deliveries
Despite icy roads and freezing temperatures, it’s been all hands on deck at Toblers Flowers in Kansas City this week as floral designers, drivers and other employees brave the winter weather to ensure Valentine’s Day orders are filled on time.
When a winter storm hit just two days before the holiday, Toblers had to cancel all deliveries on Wednesday, rescheduling them for Thursday and Friday—one of the busiest days of the year for local florists. The business, which has been providing flowers and plants in Kansas City for 125 years, is now making up for lost time.
“Our 14 hour days started on Sunday,” said Emilee Matzen, a floral designer, who filled orders for flower arrangements Thursday. “They feed us really well,” she added with a laugh. Fellow designer, Christy Conkling, a designer with 17 years experience, was making an arrangement called “Wild About You,” a short, clear vase filled with purple and white hydrangeas, topped with hot pink and red roses.
“We had zero deliveries yesterday (Wednesday), which was the 12th,” said Chris Auckland, who has co-owned Toblers Flowers with her husband, Brian Auckland for the past 15 years. The decision to halt deliveries came after a winter storm blanketed the metro area with snow and icy conditions making travel risky.
Cold weather also means extra work for florists, who must wrap every fresh arrangement before it heads out for delivery. “When the temperature drops to 35 degrees or below, we have to wrap every single arrangement. So it’s pretty much double the work,” Auckland said. “We wrap them all in plastic with a ribbon on top and your card. The driver keeps them temperature-controlled until they walk them to the house.”
To handle the rush, Toblers will have 50 to 80 drivers on the road Thursday and Friday, delivering between 2,000 and 2,500 arrangements. Auckland said they expect to get about 1,000 orders on Thursday alone. Contract drivers may deliver 25 to 30 orders each day. Extra staff has also been brought in to assist designers in keeping up with demand.
While red roses remain a Valentine’s Day staple, customers are opting for a variety of floral designs this year. Hydrangeas, mixed roses, and premium blooms filled designers’ workstations on Thursday morning. “I mean, I would say mixed roses, hot pink roses, red roses—roses everywhere,” Auckland said. “I personally love the mixed flower arrangements, which include hydrangeas and other specialty and premium flowers.”
