Shop local for Valentine’s Day

Denise O'Brien and Kacey Smits (Louisa Jones) 228097_01

Highton florist Jen Gross is urging locals to buy Australian-grown roses this Valentine’s Day, her 39th in the industry.

“I try to buy Australian roses,” she said.

“I want to support local as much as I can because we need to keep our economy growing.

“Flowers are imported from all over the world – a lot of people probably don’t realise that. They come from Kenya, Asia and all over the place.”

Business has bloomed for the floral industry amid COVID-19, according to Jen.

“A lot of people can’t see each other, because of the lockdowns, and have been sending each other cheery-up flowers instead,” she said.

With a couple of sleeps yet to go, Jen was unsure how busy this Valentine’s Day would be.

“People don’t usually place the orders until the last minute,” she laughed.

“We’d love people to place orders early but they don’t. It will all happen toward the end of the week.”