SUFFIELD, Conn. — If funerals are the bread and butter for local florists, Valentine's Day is Super Bowl.
"It's our Super Bowl, literally," said Erin Fletcher, owner of Vine & Ivy in Suffield.
Hundreds of flowers shipped in from overseas, arranged by hand, and driven to homes across Hartford County. Quadruple the volume of an average week.
Valentine's Day is game day for Fletcher who developed a passion for horticulture early on at Bloomfield High School's vocational-agriculture program.
“Literally, I was known around school as ‘The Flower Girl’ and my middle name is Ivy, so it’s actually a plant," Fletcher said.
Fletcher followed her passion to UConn’s horticulture program. She started a career in nonprofit development but still designed arrangements for weddings on the side.
“I would take time off of my full-time job to basically do my hobby until my hobby became my whole life," she said.
Five years ago, she bought an existing business and hasn’t looked back, hosting floral workshops at local nursing homes, supporting area small businesses, and making tokens of love on Valentine’s Day.
“I have a flower cooler that literally is stacked to the roof with flowers and we kind of process as we go along, so we take a little and take a little, but they should last us through the whole holiday," Fletcher said.
Roses from Ecuador, orchids from Holland. Customers tell me the benefit of coming to a family-owned florist is quality.
"I think it shows that I care a lot more," said Ryan Matthews of Windsor Locks, who for two years in a row has ordered a custom bouquet for his girlfriend, Paige.
February is doubly celebratory for Fletcher who is also celebrating Black History Month.
“I do have clients that will reach out to me specifically because I’m a Black business owner and then they find out I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and they’re like I didn’t even know you existed," she said.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.