13-02-2025
Traditional or innovative? Connecticut flower shops offer it all for Valentine's Day
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Valentine's Day is one of the two busiest times of year for the floral industry.
It's a crucial time to make money, and nobody knows that better than the family running House of Flora Flower Market. Flowers are in their blood.
New Haven encourages people to shop local this Valentine's Day
'My grandparents had a flower shop in New Britain and my great-grandparents had greenhouses in Cromwell,' said Tracy Barke, who is running much of the business now.
Her father, Richard Brancifort, opened the current shop on New Britain Avenue in Hartford 50 years ago. He still comes in to design and make arrangements. He knows from experience that it takes months to prepare for Valentine's.
'My daughter Tracy did a lot of planning for Valentine's Day, which we start in November,' Brancifort said. 'And sometimes earlier than that.'
Price fears for chocolatiers: Cocoa costs leave bitter taste for Valentine's Day
It starts months before that at the South American farms where many of these flowers are grown. Many travel thousands of miles by plane and then truck before they wind up wrapped in paper and handed to your sweetheart.
Believe it or not, there are innovations in flowers for Valentine's Day.
House of Flora is selling a bouquet that looks like it is made out of chocolate, but they are actually real roses covered in wax. They last a long time. As cool as those are, the real hot item for Valentine's Day this year is glitter roses.
'Glitter roses are huge here in Hartford now,' Barke said. 'We brought the glitter roses in about three years ago. I have blue, gold, red.'
Crush of Valentine's Day flowers: Nearly a billion go through this city to you
She also has roses that somehow have hearts inside the petals. These are flowers designed to send a message. To speak to people.
'Tell the people you love that you love them. Show them the way, make the memory, make it last,' Barke said. 'With flowers, it changes your heart. It changes your eyes. Your eyes light up when you see them.'
She said deliveries are all booked up, but there are still plenty of flowers, chocolates, and balloons ready for last minute shoppers.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
