Lake County flower shop bracing for last-minute Valentine's Day shoppers; ‘It's got to come from your heart'

Friday is Valentine's Day, in case you missed it, and time is running out to buy your loved ones a token of your appreciation.
Any panicked, forgetful partners can always make a quick stop at a local flower shop to pick up a boutique of traditional roses, including at Flowerama in Mundelein, where Valentine's sales account for half of the shop's yearly business.
Elaine Hanusa has owned the shop for more than 20 years, and has been in the flower industry for about 35 years. It was romance that actually got her into the business, or at least a little bit of romantic jealousy.
'I was dating my husband-to-be, and he was working his way through college being a delivery driver. I was a waitress,' she said. 'He didn't like me flirting with customers to get more tips, so he goes, 'We have an opening.' I started from the ground up.'
It's a busy season for flower shops, Hanusa said. In fact, she started preparing and making orders back in December, and on Valentine's Day itself she said store personnel can't even answer the phone sometimes.
'It rings and rings off the hook,' she said. 'We've got delivery drivers going, door dashing, we can't keep up. They've even run out of flowers some years.'
While many customers are buying flowers for their romantic partners, Hanusa said they see all sorts in the shop, including some children buying flowers for their parents, so she tries to offer a range of prices to cater to everyone.
David Dickerson, a Mundelein resident, was in the shop Wednesday buying a small bouquet for his 6-year-old daughter who was having a Valentine's Day party. He talked about what makes flowers a special gift.
'I always have these drops of ideas on how to make sure she knows how to be treated when she gets older,' Dickerson said, laughing. 'Flowers are traditional. We've grown up with flowers representing love, representing relationship, representing commitment. It's more of an intangible experience from a tangible gift.'
He planned to buy another bouquet for his wife later, Dickerson said. While Hanusa doesn't get bouquets on Valentine's Day herself anymore, she said that was by her own request after working in the flower industry for so long.
'One year (my husband) sent me a dozen roses, and I sent them back,' she said, laughing. 'I don't want them. We're sick of seeing roses. I asked for a plant instead.'
For other couples however, Hanusa said flowers are still a great gift to 'show you care.'
'They can see the color,' she said. 'It's feelings. I get a different feeling when you give me a piece of candy than when you give me a rose. It's like you actually care, unless you really love chocolate.'
However, she isn't a believer in just going through the motions.
'If you're feeling obligated, why bother?' Hanusa said. 'It's got to come from your heart.'
One member of the staff helping prepare bouquets on Wednesday was Cindy Schneider, who talked about what she's seen over the years. She's been at the shop for 13 years, and knew nothing about flowers when she first joined. Her first Valentine's season at the shop was 'crazy,' she recalled.
'I didn't know what to expect, so it was fun,' she said. 'Everybody cries at least once.'
The staff has heard plenty of stories, she said, from the good to the bad, and even the ugly, including plenty of partners coming in for a classic apology bouquet.
'They definitely have some good stories,' Schneider said. 'They'll come in and tell us what they've done. We used to have little cards that had a man crawling out of a doghouse.'

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