Florists pull out stops for Mother’s Day

MOTHERS will be showered with flowers on Mother’s Day tomorrow if the demand is anything to go by.

Local florists were busy yesterday, experiencing more orders than ever before.

But after business came to a standstill during lockdown, fulfilling these orders will be a challenge. And issues with stock deliveries has meant florists have had to get ‘‘creative’’.

Carley Jones, manager of Joseph Jones in Dunedin, said not only had it been her busiest Mother’s Day trading, but possibly the busiest the shop had ever been.

‘‘It shows the community are doing their best to support local businesses.’’

And it had been a great way to kickstart business and celebrate the shop’s 20th birthday, following more ‘‘trying’’ times.

Getting a hold of flowers had been difficult.

There were long delays for deliveries, as well as stock availability issues.

‘‘I just had to be patient and understanding and try to be creative, thinking outside the square with arrangements,’’ she said.

Miss Reid florist, in Dunedin, had also been flat out.

Owner Jacqui Margetts said she had about 150 orders for Mother’s Day alone.

She agreed ‘‘crazy’’ flower availability issues made fulfilling those orders a challenge.

Her Mother’s Day flower order arrived on Tuesday but her weekly flowers never came, meaning the Mother’s Day stock had to be used throughout the week instead.

‘‘We have just had to try to slow down orders . . . it has been hard to organise.’’

Owner of The Workroom florist in Wanaka Anna Begg had her busiest Mother's Day period in the five years she had been in business and put it down to the lack of alternative gifts easily available because of the Covid19 lockdown.

She said she had stopped taking orders as she no longer had time to arrange the flowers from her growers in Christchurch and the Cardrona Valley.

Nichol’s, in Dunedin, was having a similar experience and had to put ‘‘sold out’’ on most products on its website.

Head florist Sharon Wassell said while it could come close, she hoped they would scrape through without running out of stock.

PHOTOS: CHRISTINE O’CONNOR/MARK PRICE Mum was the word . . . Carley Jones, manager of Joseph Jones florist in Dunedin, was flat out yesterday taking phone orders for Mother’s Day tomorrow. Below: Wanaka florist Anna Begg had to stop taking orders for Mother's Day flowers because she did not have enough time to fill them.