MT. VERNON -- The pain at the pump could
put a damper on Mother's Day weekend with one of the most
popular gifts is taking a hit.
Pam Robertson and her family have owned Easton's Flowers
in Mt. Vernon for more than 40 years. She says this year
will stay in her memory because of the effects of gas prices.
"The flowers that come into us have surcharges, so
we pass them onto the people," Robertson said.
In fact, that surcharge has nearly tripled.
Besides that, Robertson says they've had to raise delivery
charges, and they're also trying to cut back on deliveries.
"We now go once in the late morning and once in the
afternoon and group them together to save a few trips,"
she said. "Every bit helps."
With the busy Mother's Day weekend ahead, Robertson says
they're planning to run four routes to get all the flowers
delivered as quickly as possible.
"I just filled up my van and it cost me $60.02 to fill
up," she said. "So it's gonna be expensive."
To add insult to injury, many of the orders coming in have
been smaller this year.
"I've had two today that have said that they are regular
customers we've had for years and years and years,"
Robertson said. "And they just said they've got to
put gas in their cars too."
Flower shops are still busy getting ready for the weekend,
but many of the bouquets may be a little smaller, and a
little more expensive this year.
Robertson says the flower shops in Mt. Vernon all work together,
and often car-pool for out-of-town deliveries to help everyone
save a little on gas. |
Select a Florist
