The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley Jo Jo Pennington works on choosing an array of flowers at JoJo’s Floral and Bridal in Elkins. Pennington is getting ready for a delivery order rush as Valentine’s Day is Sunday.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley
Jo Jo Pennington works on choosing an array of flowers at JoJo’s Floral and Bridal in Elkins. Pennington is getting ready for a delivery order rush as Valentine’s Day is Sunday.

ELKINS — Time is winding down for those wanting to express their love through a floral arrangement or gift, as Valentine’s Day is Sunday.

A busy weekend is expected for local flower vendors JoJo’s Floral & Bridal and Tammy’s Floral. Both have been busy with flower orders this week and they expect the trend to continue through the weekend.

“It’s going to be a big weekend,” said Jo Jo Pennington, owner of JoJo’s Floral and Bridal located at the Towncenter Mall.

“With Valentine’s Day being on a Sunday, customers want the deliveries to the offices and workplaces for their girlfriends and wives on Friday. Then they will want to surprise them at home on Saturday, and then for all the guys who forgot and need me to save them, I have them covered on Sunday.”

Pennington said he will be delivering all weekend, beginning with today and running throughout the day on Sunday.

Tammy’s, on the other hand will not be delivering on Sunday and expects most of the businesses flowers to be sold out by then.

“We are going to take orders until we run out of flowers,” said Danielle Bedford, who is a florist at Tammy’s. “Our orders have been steady this week and at a certain point we will cut off. I would look for us to possibly be sold out by the end of the day on Friday afternoon. But I’d rather sell out than be sitting on a cooler of flowers Monday morning.”

Each business has seen a different trend this season as far as operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennington said things have actually been a little more busier this year than last.

“COVID hasn’t affected us at all and I’ve actually seen an up in orders,” said Pennington. “And we take all the precautions necessary to keep us and the customers safe.

“We wear the mask when we deliver and we put the items on the porch and stand in the yard and wave them goodbye. I think it’s kind of like Christmas. My dad used to always say that as bad as things may get, people are still going to have Christmas. So I think it’s the same thing with Valentine’s Day. Love does control about everything that we do.”

Tammy’s has seen a slight decline from last season, however.

“It’s a little down, I’m not going to lie,” said Bedford. “But it fluctuates from year to year so you really don’t know what to expect. Schools being closed also plays into that this year because we’re not delivering to those locations like we usually do.”

Tammy’s has had a mix of different items ordered for Valentine’s Day this year, and with the gift shop conveniently located down stairs from the Floral Shop, there are many items to choose from.

“It’s been neck and neck with mixed arrangements and your traditional flowers like roses,” said Bedford. “We have a ton of stuff from our gift shop you can send with your flowers. We have jewelry and all other kinds of things. And we have teddy bears you can send with flowers as well.”

Pennington also has many other items he can partner with your loved one’s flower bouquet this holiday.

“We have teddy bears, gourmet chocolates and balloons, along with several other things we can send with your flowers,” said Pennington. “People like tradition with the roses so we’ll probably sell more of those than anything. And we have all different colored roses to sell.”

Also delivering flowers in Randolph County is Rennix Flowers in Valley Bend, and the business will be open all weekend as well, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“It’s been a long week already for us,” said Rennix Flowers’ Roseann Rosier. “We have a lot of stuff in the coolers ready to go out.”

The business will be delivering flowers and arrangements through the weekend, Rosier noted.

“We will be delivering all day today and on Saturday,” she said. “We have a few scheduled for Sunday also. A lot of men forget until the last minute to get something for Valentine’s Day, so I’m sure we will have some late orders coming in.”