ORANGE COUTNY, Fla. — Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, but while the cost of flowers is going up, one Central Florida florist is trying to nip those prices in the bud.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are planning to spend a new high of $14.2 billion on their significant others this year, for a record $101 per person. And consumers are expected to spend about $2.6 billion on flowers, which is an increase from $1.6 billion in 2019. 

While the cost of flowers is on the rise, the owner of Farm Nine in Oakland is getting creative on cutting costs without cutting back on the romance.

Niesa Putigna believes flowers say it all, and she creates arrangements for all of life’s most valuable moments.

“It is such a beautiful way to share that you are beautiful. I love you, I care for you," she said. "Flowers just do that so well."

But one of her favorites, and also her busiest, is Valentine’s Day.

“I think people should have Valentine’s every day,” Putigna said.

She’s prepping hundreds of flowers as she is quadrupling her arrangements ahead of the holiday. But this year, she’s having to spend a bit more to stock up.

“You have to learn the price points of the flowers and they change drastically throughout the year, so it depends on what is in season, what is growing, what you can get, and the lower the supply, the higher the demand," Putigna said. "And so the cost of it goes up, so that’s what happens on Valentine’s Day." 

Putigna explained that the supply has been limited this year, particularly because of the floods in California. But she said she got her orders in early to make sure she was ready for the big day.

But with limited supply, wholesale prices are on the rise — which, in turn, affects her small business.

“It’s elevated 30% at this point on all the flowers stems, so all the flowers that we buy, which is hundreds and hundreds, will be 30% more,” said Putigna. 

While florists will have to pass the cost on to their customers this year, Putigna said she is trying to work her way around having to do that.

“Everything here is farmed," she said of the flowers she grew herself. "We’ve been using a bunch in the arrangements that are going out this week."

While the cost of a dozen roses is firm and will run you about $100, Putigna is getting creative and cutting costs using other, locally grown flowers.

“So if I know things are really expensive — we have a very unique — I am not only doing roses in here. I am doing one rose and some mums and then a ranunculus and some filler so we can kind of play a little bit more with the price point," she said. 

It’s something she feels fortunate to do this year, as back in September, grasshoppers destroyed her flower crop. But she replanted and recovered just in time for the holiday.

“This is a high hitter and would be expensive, but we are growing them, so we are putting them in everything and we have hundreds and hundreds coming out of the ground,” said Putigna, as she held some of her flowers. 

As she gets bouquets ready, she said it is too early to tell if higher costs will affect her bottom line this year.

“Things are expensive and flowers are a luxury,” she said.

But Lubber said she’s hopeful those who are looking to spend this Valentine's Day will share the love with small businesses like hers.