A browse around the front of Vidalia Flowerland Monday would never give away the state of disarray caused in the backroom by what appeared to a rose petal tornado.

Up front the employees are all smiles, eager to offer a hand to the most love-phobic of all boyfriends.

In the back the employees, who’ve been on their feet for seven hours after minimal sleep, are still smiling, but are slightly more on the loopy side.

For all involved, it’s the biggest day of the year, and things were going well Monday.

&uot;This year it is much stronger, much better than last year,&uot; owner Ed Tucker said between phone calls.

For wife Marie, the requests for flowers started at 7 a.m. when the shop’s phone forwarded a call to her house.

&uot;We can’t get the drivers back in enough time to send them out again,&uot; Marie Tucker said.

The normal number of one or two drivers multiplied Monday to 6, including an employee of Sonny’s Pizza next door who delivered flowers for the first time. The in-store help included seven, the majority of which were hidden in the back room arranging flowers.

More than 2,000 roses were ordered for Valentine’s Day and about 1,000 carnations. The roses, which come from as far away as Ecuador, were dwindling in number as the day progressed.

The Valentine’s rush started on Friday and continued through the weekend, Ed Tucker said. The store was open Sunday for the first time this year.

Though the biggest seller was the traditional red rose, candy bouquets and helium balloons also did well, the Tuckers said.

The newest addition to the Valentine’s selection was the balloon that plays &uot;How sweet it is to be loved by you.&uot; Ed Tucker said he doubled last year’s balloon order and still ran out on Friday. More were ordered before Monday.

But the balloons are the easy part.

For the ladies in the back room a tally of boo-boos became a good way to pass the time as thorn-punched fingers handled sharp wires and scissors.

Gloria Simmons, a veteran of the flower world, who danced every time the balloons sang, said the pain was worth it.

&uot;It’s just the beauty of seeing something make somebody so happy,&uot; she said. &uot;They (roses) can last up to two weeks. We take extra precautions and try to process them and make sure they get the right chemicals.&uot;

For Alana Bradley, who spent her day with thorns and wires, there won’t be roses from her Valentine at home.

&uot;I told my husband, ‘Don’t dare,’&uot; she said. &uot;I’d rather have a rose bush, or a plant, but no flowers.&uot;