DETROIT – With Mother’s Day weekend upon us, flower shops are working non-stop to get all of the orders where they need to go by Sunday.
At some flower shops, Mother’s Day, May 12, can account for 30% of sales for the entire year.
Mother’s Day is two days away, and flower shops will be busy, especially some mom-and-pop shops on Detroit’s east side.
Some Metro Detroit sisters visited a unique boutique to pick up their special bouquets for their mother.
“It’s just lovely when you have such a great neighbor who loves what they do,” said Khyla Prophet.
Kelley Jones has been their neighborhood florist for years.
“Our mother is so appreciative of anything, she loves flowers, and seeing our dad and us get her flowers as much as we really can as Mother’s Day is just an excuse,” said Ahnya Hines.
Nestled in her backyard at East Vernor Highway and Helen Street in Detroit, she has been a staple in the community for over 20 years.
Jones will sell about 3,000 floral arrangements between her garden and bouquets this week, which means Mother’s Day makes up 30% of her annual sales.
Jone said being a florist means waking up early.
“You wake up at five in the morning, and you just make sure everybody is coming when they’re supposed to come, and lining up the order and knocking them out,” said Jones.
Delivery drivers like Jim Chirikas have been unloading boxes of flowers non-stop.
“This is the biggest time of year if you have a flower shop for Mother’s Day, and that means you’re on the road for a lot of hours,” said Chirikas.
With tulips from Holland, peonies from Almont, and sunflowers from Detroit’s east side, The Marine Corps veteran says honoring mom doesn’t get better than this.
Goodness Gracious is open until noon on Sunday, and Jones says she will spend Mother’s Day with her children.
The shop is also raising money for a non-profit that’s helping young people become entrepreneurs like Jones.