Flowers Top Mother’s Day Gift List

Mother’s Day is Sunday. Have you decided what to get your Mom?

If you’re like two-thirds of Americans, flowers are on the list. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend more than $1.9 billion on flowers for the holiday this year—that’s more than Americans spend on flowers for Valentine’s Day.

Sales so far have been “pretty brisk,” said Annandale Florist owner Gary Sherfey, but he won’t know how this year really pans out until the end of the business day Saturday. Flower Den’s Lisa Garbia said sales there may top last year.

Although history and tradition make white carnations the “official” flower of Mother’s Day, Sherfey said many people are buying pink and lavender-colored roses (official color names include cool water and ocean song). “I guess the last 2 or three years they’ve been more popular.”

Garbia said Flower Den’s Peek-a-Bird bouquet, with hydrangeas and roses, is selling well. Lillies are also popular this year.

Mother’s Day founder Anna Jarvis reportedly started the holiday in 1908 at a church in West Virginia to honor her deceased mother. For the event, she purchased white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, to distribute to mothers. Jarvis and her colleagues began a long letter-writing campaign to ministers, businessmen and politicians, and they eventually convinced President Woodrow Wilson to make Mother’s Day an official holiday in 1914.

If you’re ordering your flowers online through a service like 1800flowers.com, you might save money by having your flowers delivered Saturday.

If you would rather deliver your flowers in person or support a local business, here are a few of Annandale’s flower shops:

7224 Columbia Pike, 703-256-2666

6960 Bradlick Shopping Ctr. , 703-750-9400

7328 Little River Tpke.,  703-750-1117