Cupid’s Caterers

Next week is Valentine’s Day – like you didn’t already know that!

So I’ll spare you the history lesson of its originality of why it is such a day when we know it’s a day for celebrating romance. It’s where Hallmark creates gazillions of cardboard motifs. Chocolatiers’ bundle their bounty in pretty boxes. Restaurant’s polish off their menus and chinaware. It’s also where flowers are picked, preened, wrapped with ribbon, and then delivered in the name of Cupid.

Of course, for that special romantic occasion, you could pluck a wildflower from a field. Or you can call upon the creative geniuses who are part of Cupid’s army, catering to the industry of love and I give you (insert drumroll here)…

The Florist.

Here, in the Northern Territory, there is no flower market. All flowers (excluding tropical varieties) are air-freighted in. That’s right, florist’s flowers are accumulating frequent flyer points, while supermarkets’ ship their stock in by truck. Now say that sentence three times real fast!

So, the humble Darwin florist is not only skilled in the floral arts, they’re also time management masters, who have a mystical knowledge of predicting their market. They’re such clever creatives whose job isn’t just about sharing the love it’s also about reading people.

“As a florist, it’s a guessing game – where no two days are the same.”

Sheree from the Green Goddess Florist, Darwin, Northern Territory.

I had a part-time job while at school, working as a floral assistant bundling bunches of flowers for supermarkets. Glamorous – you’d think? Well, I was working in a shed, playing with flowers in cold water in winter at 4am which wasn’t much fun because I suffered from allergies. It kind of killed my desire to be a part of that trade.

However, there are florists in the family, a great-aunt and a few others relatives who grow flowers commercially and take pride in their floral arrangements for their local church. I’ve even written about florists before in my flash fiction pieces, like the Floral Front. I’ve included flowers in my soon-to-be-released novel, AVOIDING THE PITY PARTY. And now, my next leading lady is a florist. Why?

Because flowers are the perfect prop for all things romance.

So remember this Valentine’s Day to not get upset should your delivery be late to the one you loved. Don’t get mad when they can’t deliver along with the other hundreds and thousands of items who’ve ordered their flowers earlier (hint – best to book now). Remember to thank those of Cupid’s army who do their best in sharing the love on that one special day. And for those few Top End florists, thank you for making time to talk with me, and I hope you survive your busiest day of the year.

Happy Valentine’s Day (for next week).