One of the most romantic things a man can do is send flowers to the one he loves. At Klotz Floral and Garden Center, the owners and workers have seen numerous romantic things done in the name of love.

The Klotz’s have operated the flower shop since the 1940s, and each year fill hundreds of orders for Valentine’s Day.

One time stands out for Rita Klotz, when a man stationed in Iraq had e-mailed the shop. He ordered roses and a card to be delivered to his girlfriend. He asked that there be one rose delivered the day before Valentine’s Day and then a dozen red roses delivered on the actual day.

“I think that would be the most romantic thing that we’ve seen. Just to know that he was thinking about her,” Klotz said with a smile.

Another memorable gesture for Klotz was the delivery of four-dozen red roses to one person. The big arrangements are usually ordered around Valentine’s Day.

“Guys like to see big arrangements and send them to work so people at the office, or wherever, can see what they did,” Klotz said.

Large arrangements of roses may be affordable for some people, but what about students who want to show their significant other how much they mean to them without denting their wallet?

Linda Henry, who has worked at the shop for five years, said colorful arrangements are more affordable for people with tight budgets.

“The mixed arrangements can be made with even one or two roses and we can put a lot of reds and pinks in as well,” Henry said, as she finished wrapping up a dozen roses to be delivered to Founders. “A lot of people like to add stuff on, also. Like balloons or stuffed toys or a box of candy. We definitely try to accommodate every budget.”

But besides the flowers, Valentine’s Day is one of the employees’ favorite holidays for other reasons.

Kelly Musgrave has worked at Klotz Floral and Garden Center for three years and said that Valentine’s Day is her favorite time to work.

“You can be more creative around Valentine’s Day because some people want something different and unique,” Musgrave said.

“But we are also very busy and it goes by quickly,” she added. “You’re pretty drained after the day.”

Henry smiled and agreed with her, “We are always happy to see it come and then a little happy to see it go.”

Henry and Musgrave laughed a little as they remembered a time when their truck was late delivering the flowers for Valentine’s Day.

“We usually prep for Valentine’s Day two weeks ahead,” Henry said. “Really anything we can do to get ready. Then one week before, we really gear up.”

The employees both chimed in, telling bits of the story. One year, the flowers specially ordered for Valentine’s Day had not arrived. So, Klotz’s husband Gene who owns the store, kept calling their factory but nothing came up. They discovered that the flower truck had been found abandoned on the side of the road on interstate 75.

“We really never knew what happened to the driver but the flowers were okay because they were in a cooler but you can imagine how hectic it was here,” Henry said with a laugh. “That’s the thing about the business, you never know what’s going to happen.”

Gene Klotz, who shares in owning the shop with his family, said Valentine’s Day is now referred to as Valentine’s week because of all the preparation that goes into getting ready for February 14th.

“We’ll order in 200 dozen roses just for our shop,” Gene said. “Valentine’s Day is a holiday that is reflected by the day it falls on. It should be a busy, busy day being on a Tuesday. Generally, it will be a lot of glass vase arrangements, which is a very popular trend. Valentine’s Day is also when we’ll see our students.”

Henry, Musgrave and Gene all agreed that what really sets them apart from the competition is that they deliver.

“We’ll have around 300 to 400 deliveries over those two days [Feb. 13 and 14],” Gene added. “You know, you find in independent shops, like ours, will put more quality and care into their arrangements. The people who work for us have a lot more experience and it’s also that we deliver.”

When it comes to flowers, Klotz Floral and Garden Center and their employees know how to make arrangements that would put a smile on anyone’s face. On Valentine’s Day, this shop will be full of red roses just waiting to be wrapped for someone special.

“It’s just so amazing to look in there [the display case] and see nothing but roses,” Henry said with a smile.