"Feb. 14 is by far the biggest of the holidays along with Easter and Mother's Day," said San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner Gail Raabe.
At Half Moon Bay's largest flower wholesaler, Nurserymen's Exchange, hundreds of workers spent the first weeks, February preparing shipments of narcissus, tulips, orchids and roses for destinations across the country.
 Half Moon Bay Nursery employee Maria Haro uses a calculator to figure the cost of a Valentine's Day gift basket she made Monday in preparation for the holiday. |
"We're just about wrapping up here," Mendel said Monday. "When you're shipping out, it's actually the weeks leading up to the holiday that are the busiest."
Others have found themselves working right up to the 14th.
Ron Mickelsen at Half Moon Bay Nursery has been preparing his roses and hydrangeas for retail sale in the store.
Saturday and Sunday were the busiest days in the showroom with about 100 people passing through each day.
"Customers come to us from across the Bay Area," he said.
Growers reported that this year's prices for bulb crops and cut flowers are similar to those in 2006. But the leveling market has proved a frustration for greenhouses, many of which experienced higher fuel costs this winter.
"Gas prices came down in January, but we found them right back up this month," said Mendel.
The first weeks of January proved a difficult time for Coastside growers. Two weeks of low temperatures took a toll on the cut flower industry, leaving acres of outdoor crops suffering frost burn and even lowering the ambient heat in greenhouses.
Temperatures dipped below freezing in many parts of the Coastside, with thermometers in Pescadero dipping into the 20s, according to Raabe.
Other growers, seemingly spared by the bad weather, later discovered their crops had actually been harmed when delicate buds failed to bloom properly. In an industry driven by aesthetics, even the smallest blemishes can make crops unmarketable.
Nurserymen's Exchange, whose crops edge the ocean where temperatures remain more mild, reported less damage than many competitors.
"There was some impact for our outdoor crops," said Mendel. "But, fortunately, most of our product is housed indoors."
With the rush of Valentine's Day over, growers will have a chance to catch their breath. But the respite won't be for too long - spring is just around the corner.
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