As many prepare to give flowers to a special someone on Friday, florists in Chilton County try to maintain a rosy outlook gearing up for the day of love.

“Valentine’s Day is the busiest but worst day for a florist,” Jemison Florist and Gift Shop owner Jonna Jones said. “Every year we are just crazy leading up to the day trying to fill all of our orders.”

Jones estimates her shop will deliver several hundred flowers on Friday with two additional drivers on hand to make all of the deliveries.

“On a normal day, we have one driver but for Valentine’s Day we have two extra drivers because they will be driving around all day,” Jones said.

Jones said the most popular flower arrangement sold on Valentine’s Day is a bouquet of red roses but this year she has been selling a specialty rose called “sweetness” to a lot of her customers.

“The sweetness rose is selling this year and a lot of people are ordering that for their special someone,” Jones said. “They are white flowers with red tips around them, and people really like those.”

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Jones receives daily deliveries from the company she purchases flowers from a week before Valentine’s Day.

“I have had a daily delivery this week and we will spend a lot of time here,” Jones said. “We will spend the majority of the night on Thursday preparing for Friday and we will be here Friday until we run out of flowers.”

In Clanton, Pinedale Gardens owner Becky Patterson estimates her shop will sell more than 5,000 red roses before the end of the day on Friday.

“I ordered 5,000 and then I ordered another 1,000 to make sure I had enough,” Patterson said.

Patterson hires 10 extra people to handle the workload of filling orders for individuals wanting bouquets of flowers delivered to their loved ones on Valentine’s Day.

“We have been here 12 days straight gearing up for Valentine’s Day,” Patterson said. “Our busiest day will be Friday because most of the men who buy flowers wait until the last minute.”

Both Patterson and Jones said the majority of their customers are men ranging in ages from teenagers to senior citizens.

“The cutest customers are the younger guys who come in and want to buy something for their girlfriends,” Patterson said. “They are always so unsure as to what they should buy and they want us to help them pick something out that will be special.”

Although the most popular flower for Patterson’s shop is the red rose, she said the younger generation likes the Gerbera daisy.

“For some reason we sell a lot of those to the younger kids who ask for them,” Patterson said. “We have a few women customers who are buying flowers for their children but the majority of our customers are men. I think this is a holiday where men buy for women.”

Maplesville Florist and Bake Shoppe owner Tammy Seales busily spent Thursday preparing bouquets of red roses to deliver to customers on Friday.

In addition to selling flowers at her shop, Seales also sells homemade “goody baskets” and gourmet apples for individuals wanting to send an edible treat for Valentine’s Day.

“A lot of people like to send something to eat to their loved ones and we have prepared those to deliver and sell,” Seales said. “We will be here all day because most everyone waits until the last minute.”

Seales said her shop normally stays open until 4:30 p.m., but she will stay open until the last customer goes home.

“It will be a crazy day but God love those florists who are having to deliver flowers on icy roads,” Seales said. “There are places in the state where the roads aren’t clear but people will still want their flowers delivered.”

Jones said last year she stayed open until she ran out of flowers and Patterson anticipates a late night on Friday as well.

“We will have some men who come in to the store desperate for whatever flower they can find,” Patterson said. “We might have just a few flowers left in our shop and they will snatch those up just so they can have something to give to their loved one.”

Although Valentine’s Day is hectic for many florists, Jones said the most enjoyable part as a florist is helping make someone’s day.

“I love flowers and knowing that someone will have a special and happy day because of a flower is a neat feeling,” Jones said. “The surprise of delivering flowers to someone who is not expecting them or to someone who is reassured they are loved or thought about is just really fun.”