Florists everywhere are bracing for one of the biggest days of the year, Valentine’s Day, when sweethearts, friends, co-workers and spouses express love and appreciation with fragrant bouquets.

No florist is more aware of the onset of the big week – Valentine’s Day is Wednesday – than Sharman Hart at The Flower Station in Natchez.

A veteran floral designer who has seen many a Valentine’s Day come and go, she views this year’s in a different way. It is her first year to be sole owner of the flower shop.

“I became owner of the shop in July,” Hart said early Friday as the shop on John R. Junkin Drive already had begun to come alive with activity. “So this is the first year to go solo on Valentine’s Day.”

Indeed a big day, the difference between Valentine’s Day and, say, Christmas, is that there is not a season, Hart said. “Everyone wants the flowers delivered just on Valentine’s Day. With Christmas, there are other days we can deliver. It’s not just focused on the one day.”

Dozens and dozens of roses will arrive just in time for the day. Dozens and dozens of other flowers are arriving daily, as well.

“People are beginning to call. We’ve taken orders for Valentine’s Day since the middle of January,” Hart said.

Designers have begun what Hart refers to as prep work. “We condition the flowers to give them longer vase or shelf life,” she said.

Furthermore, she is getting her designers and drivers organized. As owner, she is responsible for taking care of business. But designing is her love and how she came into the floral arts profession.

“I even like to deliver the flowers sometime,” she said. “I love to see the expressions on people’s faces when they get the flowers.”

How important is Valentine’s Day? It is an important day for florists, but challenges exist. “It’s a big income day if everyone down the chain keeps their prices down,” Hart said. “Roses are 50 percent less during other times of the year than now. It’s supply and demand. The growers have to hire more people because of the demand, and their costs go up.”

Her challenge, then, is to keep her own costs down by organizing workers ahead of time. “It’s a real balancing act. We do pay time-and-a-half for overtime.”

Fuel costs are higher. Many flowers come to U.S. florists from South America. “Everything has elevated in cost,” she said.

Roses are not the only flowers popular for Valentine’s Day. Hart said many customers order mixed arrangements. “And we have wire service. We have all the containers advertised by the wire and can make those arrangements,” she said.

The majority of the roses ordered for Valentine’s Day are red roses. They go for about $75 a dozen. One of the most unusual requests she has had for Valentine’s Day was for five dozen white roses.

“The guy was working offshore and really wanted to impress his girlfriend,” Hart said. “I talked him out of the five dozen. I told him, ‘I think two dozen will impress her.’ I thought five dozen was overkill.”

Another unusual request was a balloon bouquet. Balloons are big sellers for Valentine’s Day, also. “A wife bought silk boxer shorts for her husband. We put them in a clear balloon, and that anchored a big balloon bouquet,” Hart said.

The usual balloon bouquet valentine has stuffed animals or boxes of chocolates attached, she said. “We have balloons in all shapes and sizes.”

She hopes some customers will like the idea of Tuesday delivery. “That way, the flowers are there all day on Valentine’s Day,” she said. She stands ready to fill every request as best she can, she said.

She and her five other designers and four drivers are ready for the big day.