Rose success at Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a Hail Mary experience. In fact, following straightforward, scientifically proven handling details ensures success sans frustration. Avoid urban myths. Consumers love discussions about cocktails of Sprite, vinegar, aspirin, bleach, vodka and Viagra to keep flowers standing tall in the vase, but when the rubber meets the road, rely on professional products that are repeatedly tested for proven results.

Does your holiday display say, “He loves me or he loves me not?” As the 2015 Valentine’s Day holiday approaches, remember that the key to a successful holiday is proper merchandising. Here are some of our seasoned ideas with a proven track record.

As we gear up for the holiday season, pre-packaged gifts become ubiquitous in every retail store. Admit it, we have all been swayed to purchase that pair of pajamas tied up with a beautiful bow, or the set of chocolates or coffee in the attractive gift package. This same “make-it-a-gift” selling technique works for Valentine’s Day and floral too. Consumers love bows and are quite frankly in awe of people (that’s you floral designers) that can hand-tie a bow. Use your bow-tying ability to create a bigger sale.

I know, you don’t want to hear about Valentine’s Day yet; you haven’t even finished your Thanksgiving leftovers yet. But you know as well as I do that now is the time to get on the bandwagon and start preparing for the big Love Day headed our way.

It’s the same thing every year, right? Stress, stress, and more stress. OK, now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at some facts:

Is Valentine’s Day extremely busy? — Yes.

Do we all have to work like crazy and then lose sleep worrying about what didn’t get done, or should have been done? — Pretty much.

I love the month of December because it is full of so many different looks in our floral industry. There are seemingly endless options with the availability of Paper Whites and Amaryllis, unique blooming hydrangea plants, Zygo plants, Ornithogalum, gardenias and Calla lilies to add to the sales of the traditional Poinsettias, cyclamen, Christmas cactus and holiday mums. The key to increasing sales at this time of year is to keep all of the many holidays in mind.

The Amaryllis plant’s ability to grow incredibly quickly (sometimes gaining an inch or more a day) has inspired many people to “race” Amaryllis, according to a Jackson & Perkins press release. Whole offices participate in Amaryllis races, awarding ribbons to the plants that grew the fastest or produced the most beautiful blooms; and the latest trend is to compete with friends and family over Instagram using #AmaryllisChallenge.