Valentine’s Day is Sunday, and Ames florists are gearing up for what will be a busy weekend.

Roses are by far the most popular choice for those struck by the love bug, and Diane Riedemann, manager of Coe’s Campus Flowers, 303 Welch Ave., has taken that into consideration.

“I pre-ordered my red roses in the middle of January,” she said.

Riedemann said she received 2,000 red roses and 350 roses in assorted colors, which she hopes to run out of by the end of Valentine’s Day.

“You really want to cut it close so that you don’t have a lot of flowers left over at the end of the day,” Riedemann said.

Some years, however, she said Coe’s Campus Flowers has cut it a bit too close.

“We’ve run out of red roses in previous years,” Riedemann said.

Other floral industry workers in Ames have faced the same problems.

Kim Kersey, manager of the Hy-Vee floral department, said while they have never run out of flowers, they have come close.

Kersey said ordering flowers for Valentine’s Day can be an expensive endeavor.

“Our flower prices go up, so we have to raise our prices for the customer … ” she said.

Customers wanting to order one dozen red roses for a loved one should be prepared to spend about $50, Kersey said.

At Coe’s Campus Flowers, Riedemann said only the price of roses increases, due to supply and demand and because they are a perishable item.

Delivery drivers at local florists also will be busy the next few days. Both Riedemann and Kersey said they expect their drivers to make anywhere between 300 and 500 deliveries.

“Last year, we made between 300 and 400 deliveries on the 13th and 14th, and I expect we will make that many or more this year,” Riedemann said.

She said repeat customers are a big benefit to the floral industry.

“I have people who come in every year and order the same thing,” Riedemann said.

While it is sure to be a hectic few days, Kersey said she looks forward to it every year.

“Most florists dread Valentine’s Day, but I like it when it’s busy and crazy,” she said.