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Photo by James Jordan click image to enlarge

By JAMES JORDAN
The Traveler

McCool's Flower Shop is one of the oldest continually running businesses in Arkansas City.

"Valentine's Day is becoming the biggest 'flower day' of the year, even surpassing Mother's Day," said David Baxter, owner of the 90-year-old establishment. They have been busy for several days getting ready for today's deliveries.

Baxter said he would be renting a vehicle and would use a personal vehicle as well to try to keep up with all the deliveries of roses and other flowers.

For several days, store manager Lori Sims, Liona Barbour and Glennora Reede have been busy putting arrangements together and getting orders filled.

Baxter's grandparents started the business in the early 1900s and it has been run from the same location on Third Street since then.

Baxter and his wife, Sherry, remain active in the business.

Baxter said he normally sells out on Valentine's Day and the holiday gets a little busier each year. As late as Monday, he could still order some flowers if he needed to, in order to meet the demand for flowers.

"Both Monday and Tuesday are huge days, " he said. "It has become as big as any holiday, certainly the biggest day for roses. People are more Valentine-minded than ever."

They get long-stemmed roses from Florida or California.

Sims takes a lot of pride in her long-stemmed roses, pointing out that they are very long before being put into an arrangement.

"We try to have the best roses around, with the longest stems," Sims said.

The heads of the roses are large as well.

They try different kinds of roses each year in their effort to have the best ones possible.

They also use imported greenery to go with the flowers.

Above: Sherry Baxter prepares an arrangement of roses as flower shops gear up for one of their busiest days of the year.