People pause to smell the roses on Valentine's Day.

“It's a day of major insanity,” said Michele Craig, a 15-year floral designer at Bortmas, the Butler Florist.

On the Valentine's Day gift list, flowers rank high in popularity with candy, dining out and jewelry. About $1.9 billion is expected to be spent on flowers by people celebrating the holiday, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

The holiday is a popular day to send flowers, which has increased over the years, said Ed Bloom, owner of Bortmas, the Butler Florist.

A red rose is a sign of love, florists say.

“In general, red means love and it's the most popular color,” Bloom said. “Women like to receive flowers and it's a sign of affection.”

Traditional floral arrangements have flowers, such as carnations, mums and daisies, that can last for about two weeks, making them the perfect gift to send to daughters and grandmothers, Craig said. The arrangement Craig worked on Tuesday used a wicker basket instead of a vase, which is another option.

Rose arrangements can last about a week, said Tina Barger, a floral designer at Bortmas, the Butler Florist,

Pink, red and white flower arrangements with carnations, gerbera daisies and lilies are other alternatives to roses, Bloom said. People also can send flowers that are their significant other's favorite color, such as colored roses.

Vases and containers are prepped by the florists with greens, he said, noting that flowers are added at the last minute because they are a perishable product.

During the holiday, the cost of roses increases because of supply and demand, he said.

The product at Bortmas is grown in South America, Central America, California and Canada, Bloom said. Jerry Boeh, owner of Gerard Boeh Flowers in Cranberry Township, said his shop receives products from Ecuador, Colombia and South America.

Both florists recommend ordering flowers early.

Bloom estimated that on Tuesday or Wednesday, the shop could reach its maximum Valentine's Day orders, he said. On Valentine's Day, they cannot take any more deliveries because of the amount of orders they receive.

Typically, Boeh said the shop receives flowers for Valentine's Day orders daily. His shop averages about 200 to 300 Valentine's Day orders each holiday.

“If they're looking for something a little out of the normal, it could take a week to come in,” Boeh said.

Keeping the blooms

Other than roses, hydrangeas, lilies, tulips, calla lilies and orchids are other flowers a person can send, he said.

Bloom said if a person receives roses in a box, recut the stems and put them in water as soon as possible and keep the water fresh and filled to the top of the vase.

Typically, when roses are wilted, chances are that bacteria is depleting the water uptake, he said, which is why one should recut the stems.

To keep flowers fresh, recut the stems with a knife at an angle, Boeh said. Also, make sure the water is filled to the brim at all times and refreshed after two to three days.

Do not put the flowers in direct sunlight or in front of a television because it can cause the flowers to die quicker, he said.

Flowers let a person know that someone was thinking about them on that day, Boeh said, which signifies love.

“The main thing that draws attention to flowers is the sight, smell and how pretty they are,” he said. “That's a combination of a wow factor.”

Each variety of flower is like a person, with their own different characteristic, Bloom said. When it comes to sending flowers, it is the thought that counts.

“You don't have to send a dozen roses, even one rose is nice,” he said. “Just getting the sentiment across is nice.”

Here is a look at Valentine’s Day spending for 2019, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics:Those surveyed would spend an average $161.96. That’s up 13 percent from last year’s $143.56 and easily tops the previous record of $146.84 set in 2016Total spending is expected to be $20.7 billion, which is an increase of 6 percent over last year’s $19.6 billion and breaks the previous record of $19.7 billion, also set in 2016Men are the biggest spenders at $229.54, up 20 percent from last year. That’s more than double the $97.77 women said they would spend, which is down 1 percentThose celebrating plan to spend $3.9 billion on jewelry, $3.5 billion on an evening out, $2.1 billion on clothing, $1.9 billion on flowers, $1.8 billion on candy, $1.3 billion on gift cards and $933 million on greeting cards.