Doug Ashbury talked to House of Flowers owner Mrs. Geri Rodrigues about the business.

From filling a room with flowers to meeting the Prince of Wales at Government House, running a flower shop can be a colourful pastime, according to Mrs.

Geri Rodrigues, part-owner of the House of Flowers.

During her many years in the flower business in Bermuda she has even fielded a call from a private investigator about who sent who flowers to a person.

But the customer's privacy was upheld, according to Mrs. Rodrigues.

When Mrs. Rodrigues was living in England, she had three goals -- to be a florist, to run her own business and to be financially independent.

"I think I managed all three,'' said the part-owner of the Washington Lane business.

House of Flowers receipts topped the $1 million mark before the recession, she said, although she said it would not be prudent to divulge the shop's latest sales figures.

In 1964, her father, Englishman Mr. Arthur Rendell, a mechanic by trade, came to Bermuda, and Mrs. Rodrigues, then aged 15, moved with the family.

Prior to leaving England, she had won awards at the Pershore Flower Show. When she arrived in Bermuda, she continued her interest and took up a position as a trainee florist at The Bermuda Florist.

Then she worked at the Flower Shop and in 1979, with two business partners, she started House of Flowers.

When space in the Washington Mall became available she formed a business partnership with Mr. Harry Viera and Mr. Edgar Wilkinson, and House of Flowers became the fourth florist on the Island but Mr. Viera has since left that business association to pursue other interests, according to Mrs. Rodrigues.

Today there are about a dozen florists competing for the Island's business and this year with all focusing on their biggest day of the year, Valentine's Day.

This year, House of Flowers' delivery men will be clad in tuxedos when they make deliveries Tuesday.

Its the first year for the stylish tuxedo and red tie effort, and a marketing departure for the business which has shied away from such moves, preferring to rely on the window display and word of mouth for promotion.

"Valentine's is always the hardest time of year, partially because of the weather and partially because of the number of deliveries on that day,'' she noted.

"One year, Harry (Mr. Viera) arranged to meet a wholesaler at the airport in the United States, so he could bring the stock back to Bermuda to make sure the flowers were here for the business to get them to the customers,'' she added.

With the increase in demand for roses at Valentine's, the price tends to jump as well.

People have to remember the Rose Bowl Parade at New Year's is a huge "drain on the supply'', she noted.

Growers have six weeks to rebuild their supplies and it takes time, energy and money to meet the demand generated by February 14.

That drives the price up from the grower to the wholesaler to the retailer and ultimately to the customer, she explained.

Despite the increased price from growers, and 33 percent Government duty on the flowers, Mrs. Rodrigues said their prices are comparable, sometimes better, than prices in the US.

Valentine's Day also tends to be busier because "people tend to be more spontaneous at that time'', she added.

It is time of year when people are freer to exercise anonymity associated with the holiday when letters, cards or flowers are traditionally sent anonymously.

"Some enjoy the freedom of that traditional anonymity associated with Valentine's Day and decide to send flowers,'' she said.

FLORAL FLAIR -- Ms Angela Treeby, floral designer, left, and Ms Sonia Martins, junior florist, are among a staff of nine at the House of Flowers.