By Lori EhdeIf saying it with flowers is the best way to express affection, local florists have plenty to say on Valentine’s Day.Next to Mother’s Day week, which coincides with spring garden work, Valentine’s Day is the busiest time of year in the floral business.It is the busiest single day of business in the entire year, and experience and good planning play a big role in how smoothly the pickups and deliveries are handled.George Bonnema of Luverne Flowers is the most experienced florist in Rock County and said he still doesn’t have an exact count of orders."You just hope you’re fairly close, since you’re dealing with a perishable product," Bonnema said."Nothing went out over the weekend, but it all happened yesterday and today," Bonnema said Tuesday.Much of the business is pre-arranged by his customers who have learned to be organized, but he’s still prepared for the last-minute shoppers."We have three people on the phones and two on the floor," Bonnema said, in addition to his delivery staff.Julie Hamann of Prairie Smoke Floral agreed that Valentine’s Day is her busiest day of the year, as well, prompting her to work Sunday and extended hours Monday."Our cooler is full," she said Monday, "but we usually empty it.Hamann, who is in her fourth year of business on East Main Street, Luverne, said she tries to accommodate last-minute shoppers."Men are big procrastinators," she said. "So we know to be prepared for whatever."Red roses are the most popular Valentine’s Day gift, but local florists say they get to vary their arrangements with some creativity.At Glen’s Food Center Floral Department, floral manager Tammy Putnam said her customers order candy bouquets, balloon bouquets, giant 36-inch Mylar heart balloons, blooming plants and a variety of arrangements accented by stuffed animals."We’re having more fun with stuffed animals," Putnam said. "We have the cutest little frogs, monkeys and bumblebees …"But the ones having the most fun are the floral delivery people, who become instantly popular wherever their deliveries end up."We actually make a lot of people very happy," said Gladys Blom, who delivers flowers with her husband, Alvin Blom, for Glen’s."People say things like, ‘Oh, look at those pretty roses,’ or ‘Do you have any of those with my name on them?’ This morning we delivered to a woman who was so surprised she just screamed."The Bloms have been delivering flowers for Glen’s for three years. "We enjoy this very much," she said. "It’s fun to see the smiles on people’s faces. They’re always so happy to see us."Bonnema said his customers have come to rely on Luverne Flowers for quality roses. "I’ve heard of people buying roses at Wal-Mart for $8.88 a dozen, but you get what you pay for," he said."Growers start packing roses into coolers ahead of time and call them ‘fresh-picked,’ even though they’re four to six weeks old by the time they’re sold."Bonnema said he’s dealt with the same grower and supplier for years, and his customers can be sure their bouquets will last for weeks.At the end of the day, with only a few lonely roses left in the cooler, florists are left to contemplate the romance in their own Valentine’s Day."Corrine and I just look at each other and say, ‘Whew! We made it,’" Bonnema said.And no. They don’t send each other roses.