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Jan Patsch Taylor puts the finishing touches on a bouquet
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ith more than 30 years of floral experience, including 19 at her current job as manager of Malone’s Flower Shop in Canonsburg, Jan Patsch Taylor can safely say that she’s seen it all when it comes to the flower business. From love-struck young people, to cheating husbands, to baby shower planners, to friends in mourning, they’ve all walked through Malone’s doors at one time or another to enlist the flower-arranging talents of Taylor and her staff. Whether it’s an expression of love, regret, loss, or joy, flowers can seem the right gift for nearly any occasion. And that variety is what makes the job interesting, Taylor says: “I really love my job. It’s different every day.”
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Washington Crossroads editors sat down with Jan to share some of her experiences.
What’s the biggest misconception that people have about florists?
That we’re rich. They see that around Valentine’s Day the price of roses goes up, and they think that we make tons of money. It might cost $45 for a dozen right now, then $65 on Valentine’s Day. That’s because we have a standing order from our supplier for 300 stems a week. When demand grows they’ll give us a certain number more at the same price, but after that, they charge you extra. If we raised our retail price at the same rate our supplier raises their’s, it would cost someone triple to buy a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day. So while the price goes up, we’re not making more for each rose sold.
Do certain flowers go in and out of style?
Yes, Martha Stewart has had a big influence [on people’s taste in flowers]. We wondered if that would change after she went to jail, but it hasn’t. She likes tight-clustered bunches of roses. When you pay for roses by the length of the stem, it seems ridiculous to cut them off, but that’s the style. Tropical flowers have also gotten very popular. Thirty years ago, you had six choices total, but today, with the ease of air shipping, you now have hundreds of options coming from around the world.
When my mother was young, back in the 1940s, camellias were a popular flower. Nobody grows them commercially anymore, so we have to make what looks like camellias out of gladiolas. We call them glamelias.
Do more men or women buy flowers?
Overall, it’s women, but men are good customers on the first day of hunting season, when they’ve stayed out too long, and Valentine’s Day. But even on Mother’s Day we see more we see more women than men. I think that’s because women are generally in charge of the shopping.
What is the most common mistake men make when buying flowers?
A lack of creativity. Women appreciate unusual flowers, like orchids or lilies. Men stick with roses because that’s what they know.
Any others?
You’d be surprised how many people call and ask how many roses are in a dozen. Another thing people forget to do is tip the person delivering the flowers. They’re paid a wage plus tips, but since people usually don’t expect flowers, they don’t tip.
We had one girl who got some roses from an ex-boyfriend, but she didn’t want them. She told the delivery guy to take them away and do what he wants with them, so he gave them to his wife. Then the guy who sent them called and wanted them back. We had to explain that we can’t control what the person does with the flowers after delivery. Another guy who had his flowers rejected got them back, then delivered them to a senior citizen’s home, hoping for a tax write-off.
Do you sell more “I’m Sorry” flowers, or more “I Love You” flowers?
We sell more “I Love You” flowers, but the “I’m Sorry” orders tend to be bigger. They’ll send a dozen roses plus a bear or candy. The guilt thing works. I will say that in every shop I’ve worked at, guys have come in and said, “This is for my wife, and this is for my girlfriend. Don’t get the cards mixed up.”
What kinds of unusual orders have you received?
We can make just about anything out of flowers. For funerals, we’ve made a guitar out of flowers, and recently we made a black and gold football out of flowers. People plan much more elaborate offerings for funerals these days. It used to be that they would just send something, but now they may want to send an angel or a teddy bear as well.
The reason you buy from a professional florist is that we treat the flowers properly. We cut them, treat them, and cool them overnight to make them hard again, since they’ve been out of water for so long. If they’re not properly treated, the heads droop and they’ll die more quickly.
