By Lilly Zaks

Online Editor

    Valentine’s Day: a day associated with all things pink, hearts, chocolate, and, of course, flowers. Whether you have warm or cold feelings toward this display of affection, the fragrant aroma will captivate your senses.

    Nowhere is this scent more pungent than at Sherwood Flower Shop, located right down Robinhood Road. This establishment has served Winston-Salem’s flower needs for 60 years. 

    “It was started in 1965 by Larry Salt and his sister Eleanor,” Manager Chris Roth said. “The two of them kept the shop alive until they transferred ownership to Robert Burchette and his wife, Mary.” 

    Roth started working as a delivery driver for Sherwood Flower Shop sixteen years ago. Since then, he has found the secret to the business’s success: a close-knit community. 

    “They [Robert and Mary] have kind of adopted me as their son,” Roth said. “It’s pretty much a family-owned and operated shop since 1965.” 

    No month is busier for flower shops than February. Over 39% of Americans plan on buying flowers on Valentine’s Day, spending an estimated $2.6 billion. Sherwood Flower Shop ensures every Valentine’s arrangement is up to their standard. 

    “One thing that we really stress is designer choice,” Roth said. “It’s not a photo that you can see on the website. However, all of our designers have worked in the field for over 20 years. If they can use their creativity, that arrangement for Valentine’s Day is a unique one that is different from just a dozen roses.” 

    While fulfilling over 600 orders for the holiday, local flower shops like this one are facing challenges. 

    “Unfortunately for us, the hardest part of the season is our wholesalers,” Roth said. “They mark up our everyday roses like 40% or more, and it’s really hard to transfer that to the consumer. Our everyday roses are 90 dollars, but we have to charge 120 or 130 dollars for some of the arrangements to deal with the markup from the growers.”

    Not only do the wholesalers present an obstacle, but so do consumers’ choices. 

    “We are losing a lot of business to grocery stores, and their flowers aren’t prepped like we do ours,” Roth said. “We go through a certain process where we get them from the wholesaler, and they can be dry packed, where they’re shipped from Columbia to here. You have to cut them properly, dip them in a certain material that allows them to absorb the water properly, hydrate them, and then design with them. So our process, compared to grocery stores, is a lot more intense.”

    This Valentine’s Day, be sure to shop local and support businesses like Sherwood Flower Shop.

    “Place your order as soon as possible,” Roth said. “Waiting until the last minute, all florists in Winston and every state cut off orders when they have taken on as much as they can handle. So I get a lot of people really upset calling on Valentine’s Day saying, ‘Well, why can’t you just take one more order?’”

    Flowers for this holiday aren’t just limited to traditional roses. Roth has his recommendation for those looking to purchase flowers. 

    “A dozen roses and stargazer lilies,” Roth said. “Stargazer lilies make an amazing impression, and they smell really good. So if you’re okay with fragrance, that would be the route to go.”

    Whether it’s a simple arrangement of roses or a unique custom arrangement, Sherwood Flower Shop has you covered to make Valentine’s Day the perfect holiday.