Flower Power on Valentine's Day

There’s something incredible about receiving flowers on .

It’s just as good as walking into a chocolate factory. Seeing a bouquet of brightly colored blooms almost always brings a smile to a lucky recipient’s face.

One of the most difficult things I’ve encountered as one half of a married couple is trusting my husband to buy me flowers. I don’t know why– he usually comes through for me without my not-so-subtle hints.

It could stem from an experience I had with an ex-boyfriend. He had asked me what I wanted for . I told him, “Flowers are great!” Well, came and when he picked me up to go to dinner, he said he didn’t have time to buy me flowers.

I thought he was kidding, but when I realized he didn’t have surprise flowers in the car nor did he drive ahead to the restaurant and drop off flowers at our table, I knew he was completely serious.

My husband, Derek, is nothing like that. He’s always been thoughtful– he rarely asks me what I want and, if I express a preference, he never disappoints.

 Still, all it takes is for me to pass a shop, such as the sweetly decorated , and I’m suddenly sent into a mild panic over whether flowers will be in my home around Feb. 14.

“Look, Derek! Doesn’t that bouquet look beautiful?” I ask him while we’re near a flower shop.

When an FTD commercial pops up on TV, I do the “ahem” thing and say, “Hey! You know what’s coming up, right? Valentine’s Day!”

And when I receive email notices from 1-800-Flowers.com, I sometimes forward them to Derek with a smiley emoticon and encouragement like, “What a good sale!”

That’s right– this time of year turns me into a freak for flowers.

As we get closer to the day of romance, I actually get a little desperate. Suddenly I don’t need flowers from an actual florist– any flower vendor will do. While we were in the other day, I nudged Derek’s shoulder to let him know they sell beautiful bouquets.

The same goes for the grocery stores. I’m not the least discouraged when stores’ floral offerings are off to the side. My stupid human talent is that I can find a route to anything within a grocery store, even when whatever we’re actually buying is at the opposite side of the store.

“What’s that? We’re here for hot dog buns? I think I see them right around the roses.”

The only thing I don’t like about flowers for Valentine’s Day is that suddenly flowers that cost around $10 go for $100. OK, I’m exaggerating. Flowers usually cost $15 before the price hike.

A friend of mine told me that’s why she and her husband have an agreement to do flowers a couple of weeks after Valentine’s Day. “I get flowers and we don’t break the bank,” she said.

Makes sense, but by the time Valentine’s Day has been over for a couple of weeks, my flower frenzy subsides. I love getting flowers any time of the year, but once the biggest day for florists is over, it doesn’t really feel like a .

I admit it. I really like getting flowers on Valentine’s Day, which could bode badly for our finances. The good news is I’ll take any kind of flower. Plain daisies make me just as happy as big red Ecuadorian roses.

I’m also just as happy receiving a single flower as I am a dozen. It really is just the thought that counts. It can be an elegant Japanese arrangement or a single white rose. Shucks, I’d happily take a picked on the side of the rose as I’d be opening the door to a flowery delivery.

Maybe it’s because flowers are reminiscent of our teenage years when receiving them meant a boy really liked you. And maybe it’s the simple act of someone making the effort to obtain something slightly frivolous just to prompt a smile.

After all, while flowers aren’t a necessary, they are a bloomingly brilliant way to say, “I love you” on Valentine’s Day.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an FTD email to forward and a grocery store to visit.