Flower Fridge Tips for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Events

A handful of days make a big share of a florist's year, and they're the days your fridge is pushed hardest. It's packed full, the doors open constantly and in February the shop is often at its hottest. A little planning makes sure your flowers, and your fridge, get through the rush. This guide covers preparing for peak days, running the fridge during the rush, setting up displays that sell, and handling weddings and events.

The big dates

Two weeks out: get the fridge ready

• Clean the condenser and check the door seals. A fridge that's struggling on a normal week will fall behind when it's full and opened every minute. Our flower fridge care guide has a checklist.
• Check the temperature with a separate thermometer for a few days and make sure it's holding steady.
• Wash every bucket and have spares ready.
• Book any repairs early. If something isn't right, call a licensed refrigeration technician now, not in the week of the rush.

Work out whether everything will fit

Count the buckets and made-up bouquets you'll need to hold on the busiest day, then compare that with the space in your fridge. Wrapped bouquets take up much more room than buckets of loose stems. If it won't fit, decide now what has priority for fridge space. Usually that's roses and anything already made up for orders. Hardier stock can sit in the coolest part of the shop for a short time.

If you run short every year, it may be time for a bigger fridge or a second one. A second single door flower fridge gives you room for peak days, and the rest of the year you can run it warmer for tropical flowers. Our buying guide covers sizes.

Timing your stock

• Have flowers arrive a few days before the peak, so there's time to condition them properly. Recut stems and let them drink before they go into the fridge.
• Make up bouquets as close to the day as your workload allows, and keep them cold in water or with a water source.
• Label pre-orders clearly and keep them together, so staff aren't searching the fridge with the door open.
• Rotate stock: older flowers forward, new deliveries behind.

For temperature settings and a chart for popular flowers, see our guide to flower fridge temperature and humidity.

During the rush

• Keep the doors shut as much as you can. Put the bouquets you'll sell most of where they're quickest to grab, and restock in batches rather than one bucket at a time.
• Don't block the vents to fit in one more bucket. A packed fridge with no airflow warms up fast.
• Watch the thermometer. On a hot Valentine's Day with the doors opening constantly, the temperature can creep up. Close up for a few minutes and let it recover if needed.
• Keep the shop cool. Run the air-con, pull the blinds on the sunny side and keep doors to the street closed where you can.

Display ideas that sell

• Put a showpiece at eye level in the middle door, with grab-and-go bouquets on the lower shelves.
• Group by colour. Blocks of colour read clearly through glass from across the shop.
• Make prices easy to read through the glass, so customers can choose before they open the door.
• Keep the glass spotless and the LED lights on. Clean glass and bright lighting make flowers look their freshest.
• Change the theme for each occasion: reds for Valentine's Day, soft pinks for Mother's Day, and whites and greens for wedding season.

Weddings and events

• Reserve fridge space for event flowers and label them by event, so they don't get sold.
• Make up arrangements in stages. Hardy pieces can be done earlier and kept cold, while delicate flowers go in last.
• Keep flowers in the fridge until you load the vehicle, not staged on the shop floor.
• Transport them cool. Use the air-con, keep them out of direct sun, secure buckets so they can't tip, and take the shortest route.
• At the venue, get stems back into water quickly and keep arrangements away from heaters, kitchen exhausts and sunny windows.

FAQs

How far ahead can I make up Valentine's Day bouquets?

It depends on the flowers and your fridge. Many florists make up bouquets a day or two ahead and keep them cold with a water source. Roses kept at 1 to 3°C hold up well. Make the most delicate arrangements last.

My fridge can't keep up on peak days. What can I do?

Check the condenser and seals first, keep the doors shut as much as possible and keep the shop cool. If it still runs warm when full, it may be undersized for your busiest days. A bigger fridge, or a second one, is the long-term fix.

More reading

• Flower display fridge buying guide
• Flower fridge temperature and humidity: how to store cut flowers
• Flower fridge care: cleaning, checks and common problems