ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- At Absolutely Beautiful Flowers at 3000 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, phones are ringing off the hooks.
Florists there say many people who are not able to visit their moms because of social distancing are sending flowers instead.
"Everybody wants to send mom flowers. Everybody wants to spend time with the people they can’t get to, and with that, the flower industry is booming right now," said Bradford Catlin, Absolutely Beautiful Flowers' owner.
Absolutely Beautiful Flowers is doing deliveries only to the entire Tampa Bay area.
They say right now, they're busier than they’ve ever been.
But just a few weeks ago, things weren’t looking good.
The business were forced to close because of the state's "safer-at-home" order.
"It’s been an up-and-down business this month," said Catlin.
It’s been ups and downs for delivery driver Samantha Scarzafava as well, who was out of work during the closure.
"I have two kids at home and I just moved into a new place so I was really stressing at the time to see how I was going to get things paid," said Scarzafava.
Scarzafava says they now have touchless delivery and she misses seeing the customers but she's happy to be working again.
Mother’s Day is the flower industry’s biggest day of the year and Catlin says they hope people will continue to keep sending flowers even after this is all over.
"I think the most positive thing is the industry could use the boost. It’s a simpler, easier way to tell someone you care," said Catlin.
