Melbourne lockdown: Florist’s Valentine’s Day fears as snap restrictions threaten thousands of dollars in stock

Melbourne florists have been left in “limbo” as a harsh lockdown threatens their busiest day of the year.

Florists across Melbourne, including Mordialloc Florist Kylie Smits, are hoping a snap lockdown doesn’t affect their Valentine’s Day trade. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Melbourne florists fear thousands of dollars worth of blooms could be destroyed as a hard lockdown looms before Valentine’s Day.

Mordialloc Florist team member Kylie Smits told the Leader the industry had been left in “limbo” as workers await directions from the State Government, with concerns they will be forced to shut doors on the busiest day of the year.

“We spend months planning for Valentine’s Day, the growers don’t cut their crops prior to this weekend so if flowers are not used a lot of them will go in the bin … it’s thousands of dollars worth of stock,” Ms Smits said.

“Flowers have only got a certain lifespan, it’s natural stock, not like a T-shirt on a rack.

“We’d look for other ways to re-sell flowers and foliage but it’s not like we can sell Valentine’s (gift) packs in the week after Valentine’s Day.”

Ms Smits said she hoped florists would be able to continue with deliveries if a snap lockdown was introduced.

“But we still put a lot aside for walk-ins, and there will surely be lots of people who still turn up,” she said.

“We’re just in limbo right now, hoping we have our job on one of the busiest days of the year.”

It comes as wedding suppliers and couples said they were “on edge” over a possible lockdown.

Meanwhile heartbroken Bayside and Mornington Peninsula florists begged people to buy their Valentine’s Day bouquets now as a looming lockdown threatens to crush the biggest day of the year for the industry.

“We need people to buy flowers today or if they can’t make it in, put in an online order,” Brighton Flowers florist Sue Wilson said.

“The thought of losing our biggest day of the year to another lockdown is so stressful.”

Mornington florist Michael Dimech said his business Flower Girls and Co had five times the regular amount of stock “ready to go”.

“We need all those blokes who normally leave things to the last minute to think ahead and buy flowers now,” Mr Dimech said.

“There is the option of online orders and we are set up for that … but a lot of customers leave it to the last minute and come in on the day to pick their flowers.

“That’s probably not going to be an option if we go into a hard lockdown with restrictions on how far people can travel from home.”

The looming lockdown was also a disaster for wedding venues.

Mary-Anne Lowe, owner of reception venue Bramleigh Estate, told the Leader that wedding suppliers and couples were extremely stressed over lockdown fears.

“The impacts of this are months, I’ve got seven weddings over the next ten days,” Ms Lowe said.

“All the weddings are paid in full, we’ve got stock in the fridges, flowers ordered, staff rosters done, I couldn’t sleep last night over this.”