PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Paul LaCorcia of Lomas Flowers in Saugus prepares a bouquet of roses for Valentine’s Day.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — Paul and Marsha LaCorcia, owners of Lomas Flowers, know the tricks of the trade when it comes to the season of romance.
The family-owned flower and gift shop has called Cliftondale Square home since 1981. The pair have been married for 45 years, dating for more than 50 and working together for almost 36.
“We drive in together, we work together and we drive home together,” said Paul. “We don’t always talk on the ride home but we come back the next day.”
Paul said they’ve seen the Valentine’s Day market change slowly over the years. In part, the convenience of one-stop shopping at a supermarket has hurt small businesses, but the loyal customers come back year after year.
“There is one guy who orders the same thing for his wife every year,” he said. “He forgot and came in a few days ago in a panic. But we had it set aside for him.”
Sticking with a small business like theirs keeps the experience personal, he said. While the shop’s size may not allow for a wide variety of greeting card options, each one is selected by the LaCorcias; some mushy, a few funny and one or two localized to appeal to a Massachusetts lover.
A Boston Red Sox Valentine’s Day card by Gator Greetings is a customer favorite this year. On the front, Fenway Park’s Green Monster is made to look like a creature with a face, baseball hat and cleats. The Green Monster holds a glittery heart. Inside, the card reads “It’s always a homerun when I’m with you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Joyce Rossetti, a customer at the store, looked through dozens of cards before selecting the right one. Each year, her husband Peter buys her three cards; one romantic, one meaningful and a third that makes her laugh.
“He does a really nice job,” she said. “I read through a bunch before I chose one. Some are way too much or way too silly. I found one that really expressed my feelings.”
Roses are the most popular flower when asking someone “will you be mine?” The shop has more than 50 arrangements on order for today, some to be picked up but most to be delivered.
With the contrast of its delicate, deep-red petals and thorn-bearing stems, the rose has been symbolic of love for centuries. Even Scottish poet Robert Burns compared his love to a red, red rose.
A dozen of the prickly, sweet flowers is the most common Valentine’s Day gift, said Paul. Though sometimes longtime married couples opt for a single red rose.
“It’s the thought of it,” he said. “But the young guys still have to win (their valentines) over with impressive arrangements.”
Elderly and older customers typically prefer a mixture of roses and other flowers because they believe the plants will last longer than roses alone, Paul said.
At Salvy the Florist on Western Avenue in Lynn, more than 400 orders were being prepared Monday afternoon. Most are arrangements are roses but lillies are also a popular choice, said store manager Anthony Migliaccio.
“We usually average around 50 orders a day so it’s a pretty sizable increase,” he said.
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Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.