Everything’s coming up roses at Chester Flowers

Aflorist shop on Valentine’s Day can be a mix of artists’ studio, take-out restaurant, couples counselor and NASA mission control. Few retail settings perform such hire wire acts of timing and aesthetics. And tomorrow Diane Stocker and Cheryl LeClair of Chester Flowers will be working to make a lot of sweethearts happy.

From left, Diane Stocker and Cheryl LeClair, owners of Chester Flowers. Their shop is filled with long-stemmed roses in many colors as well as other flowers for Valentine’s Day./Photos by Cynthia Prairie

Red and yellow roses in the foreground with tulips, astralomeria, lilies and liatris spicata.

A profusion of blooms fills Chester Flowers on Main Street. They are ready for arrangement and delivery for Valentine’s Day.

A rainbow of color within bucketfuls of blooms.

Yellow, lavender and red roses fill this photo. But there are also orange, pink and buttercream roses to chose from.

Their small shop Main Street shop is filled with bucketfuls of flowers ready to be arranged and sent out the door on their way to a beloved. Long-stemmed roses are $70 a dozen, whether you stay with the traditional with red or go for other colors including lavender, pink, yellow, orange and buttercream. Making a more original statement could mean branching out into tulips, floragene carnations, lilies, larkspur, astrolemeria, iris and spiky liatris spicata.

Pre-made, mixed arrangements in many price ranges are available or you can place an order with your own suggestions. Stocker and LeClair are ready to help. They can be reached at 875-4008. What would these two longtime florists prefer for Valentine’s Day? Candy, oysters and champagne, diamonds? Both agree they prefer tulips – along with dinner.

Caring for your cut flowers

1. Mix a packet of floral food with tepid water.

2. Cut all the stems at a sharp angle at least one inch from the bottom with a sharp knife or scissors.

3. Put the stems immediately into the water/food mix.

4. Recut the stems closer to the bloom about every week or as the flower looks droopy.

5. Change the water/food mix.