By Michele Robertson
Happiness, joy, and comfort are feelings we all like to experience, and florists deliver these moments straight to your door. As we navigate through this time of covid-19, businesses are altering the way they operate. Some have closed completely, some are able to stay open fully, and some have reduced operations. Local flower shops are no exception. While their doors are locked to customers, their phones and websites are still running.
Angee Lamberth, owner of Angee’s Flowers, has remained open with
reduced operations. The door is locked, and she is the only one working right now, but business has been pretty good she says.
“People are happy to be able to send flowers to a loved one they cannot visit right now, or to a funeral service they cannot attend” Lamberth said.
Kim Gregory, owner of Carlsbad Floral & Gifts has been closed since March 23rd but will reopen for deliveries only on April 21st. The Carlsbad Local was unable to reach the Garden Mart by press time.
Florists deliver a product directly to homes or businesses, which is how they are classified as an essential business that can remain open with reduced operations. Angee’s Flowers and The Garden Mart both currently have their websites and phone lines available to place an order. Orders are delivered using a ‘no contact’ method.
“When the order is ready, we will call the recipient to let them know we have a delivery. We set the delivery on the porch when they open the door” Lamberth stated. Carlsbad Floral & Gifts will also provide contactless delivery when they open on the 21st. This method keeps the businesses in compliance with social distancing guidelines.
Safety of staff and customers is a top priority for both Angee’s Flowers and Carlsbad Floral & Gifts. Gregory said, “we wanted to err on the side of caution when we closed, we have employees in the high-risk age group.”
Lamberth mentioned that as long as she is able to get flowers, she will remain open for deliveries. “Availability is a factor. The wholesalers are at the mercy of what the growers send. With so many shops closing it has been hard on the growers” she added. According to Lamberth, “you need to be clever and know your inventory and be able to articulate that on the phone.” Fresh flowers are delivered to Carlsbad from locations such as Albuquerque, Amarillo, and Lubbock. With all facets of the floral industry hit hard from store closings, wholesale deliveries are not as frequent as they used to be.
Creative Carlsbad has a new Facebook group called Create Art, Cultivate Joy. This group provides daily tutorials from local artists, you can check out Kim Gregory from Carlsbad Floral & Gifts on Saturday April 25th with a session on making a terrarium, and again on Sunday April 26th, where she will show you how to make a permanent botanical arrangement. Both sessions will begin at 2 pm. There are holidays coming up where flowers are an appropriate gift, take Mother’s Day for example which falls on Sunday May 10th. Administrative Professionals Day is April 22nd, birthdays, upcoming graduations, and the best reason of all to send flowers…just because. Keep in mind, that due to current events you may not be able to get specialty flowers and that a ‘designers’ choice’ arrangement is an excellent option. Gregory adds, “flowers can help with mental and emotional health.” Send some cheer to a loved one through your local florists! Find them online! Angee’s Flowers: www.angeesflowers.net (575) 725-5201, Carlsbad Floral & Gifts: www.carlsbadfloralco.net (575) 885-3173 and The Garden Mart: www.thegardenmart.net (575) 885-0773.