AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Sons and daughters everywhere are gearing up for the upcoming holiday this weekend -- Mother's Day. If you, too, are still in the market for flowers for your mom, join the club -- it seems to be growing.
"It's one of our second major holidays with Valentine's being the first and Mother's Day being the second," said owner of local Le Fleur Florists and Gifts Shop Susan Hobbs.
Hobbs said the price of flowers will be on the rise as Sunday's holiday approaches even though the quality of flowers this year may not be quite up to par. The quality of flowers this year is lower than last year, no surprise, due in part to the drought.
"Weather definitely affects our flowers and our ability to get them," added Hobbs. "This year compared to last year the general consensus of flowers seems to be poorer quality than last year."
Overall, Valentine's is still a more expensive holiday than Mother's Day, Hobbs said, because more people choose to go with different arrangements rather than just roses. Those arrangements are also usually purchased ahead of time and more thought out than Valentine's Day purchases.
"Mother's Day, they think about it more. The cost are a lot lower, you can do more - twice as many for lower cost," said Hobbs. "People who really want a specific vase will tend to book a little bit earlier. It's looking to be a good Mother's Day this year, though, from our totals so far."
But if you're a not a fan of doing the picking and choosing for your mother's flower arrangement, Amarillo Downtown Lions Club is offering to make it a little easier for you. For $30, the Club will personally deliver a dozen red roses (vase included) to wherever you would like them sent to. This Mother's Day service serves as a fundraiser for the club, as half of the money will go back to the Amarillo Downtown Lions Club and its community service activities.
"One is a $4,000 scholarship that we provide to local seniors here in Amarillo to go to Amarillo college," said one member of the Amarillo Downtown Lions Club Bryan Tackett. "We also provide Adopt A Family for Christmas, we've done that for years. "We'll go into schools and we'll adopt a family and provide everything for them for Christmas."
So no matter what kind of flowers you're buying or where you're buying them from, most agree, it's the thought that counts.
"We think that it's great for them and also we get half of that so it's a win-win for everybody," added Tackett.
"It's just something more personal that's something that they can enjoy for a week or so and they tend to like and appreciate it more than just a wrapped gift," said Hobbs. "Generally, it's something that puts a smile on any mother's face."
