Valentine's Day Rush is On at Local Florist

With his 1-year-old son in tow, Murrieta resident Sean Swan, 31, snuck out of the house to give his wife "a little quiet time" Monday. His errands including picking up a dozen roses as a Valentine's Day gift for his wife, Renee.

The couple has been married for three years, but together for 15. He admitted she probably knew what he was up to.

"I don't really expect anything in return," Swan said, adding that he is not the flower-type himself.

"She usually gets me a CD or something."

As a shocker last year, Sun City resident Carissa Oputa found out her fiancé prefers flowers as gift, but not just any flowers.

"He likes lilies," Oputa said, as she placed her order at just after 1 p.m. Monday. It would be a 30-minute wait.

Shop owner, Annette Larocque-Zepeda, said the shop was busier this year than in the past, but that things typically pick up the entire week leading up to Valentine's Day.

"We've actually ran out of flowers every day since last week," she said.

As the shop owner for eight years, Larocque-Zepeda said she handpicks her flowers from a wholesale warehouse in Carlsbad. Prices on roses have gone up about $20 to $30 this year, but she has not passed that price increase on to customers.

"We've had the same prices for at least the last five years," she said.

Phones constantly rang, as employees took orders and helped walk-in customers. To accommodate orders, Larocque-Zepeda opened her shop on Sunday, a day she is usually closed.

"We were here from 6 a.m. to 10:30 last night," she said. "We were all caught up as of last night, until today hit."

Many competing shops have gone out of business this year, she said, attributing the pick up to that.

Swan said he has been coming to the shop regularly for the last few years, so it was a given that he would wind up there on Valentine's Day. With a bouquet in hand, Swan said his Valentine's plans included spending a "quiet evening at home."