Everlasting rose the answer to Kiwis leaving Valentine's Day to last minute

Hamilton florist Amy's Flowers is combating the Valentines Day rush this year by selling everlasting roses. The roses are real and have a life of up to 12 months. Photo / Supplied

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and you're probably frantically on the phone with a florist right now.

According to retailers, most of us won't organise something for our loved ones until 4pm the day before, leaving florists to double staffing numbers and work long hours over the day of romance.

But Hamilton's biggest florist isn't worried, they have a stock of real roses that last for 12 months that is helping them deal with the influx or orders.

Florists usually have to order roses 48 hours before they are needed but the preserved roses from Amy's Flowers were treated with a plant-based and biodegradable preservation liquid.

Director Ryan Henwood said the flowers were their answer to the classic Valentine's Day rush.

"That's for the last minute guys who haven't organised for other things."

"The number one reason people don't get flowers is that they think it doesn't last very long."

Typically 80 per cent of orders were made in the 48 hours before, he said.

The afternoon of the day before was the most busy, at 4pm the florist was getting 20 orders every 10 minutes.

Henwood said he would chose the preserved rose over fresh as there was no way to pick it apart from a fresh one.

Roses are Red director Claire Sawyers says people usually left Valentine's Day orders until February 12 where they would do a months' worth of orders over two days. Photo / Supplied

"They look like and are a real rose, they are not fake."

The florist would make more than 1000 orders by the end of tomorrow, he said.

In Auckland, Roses are Reds director Claire Sawyers said customers left orders until February 12 typically where they would do a months' worth of flowers over two days.

That meant 300 orders per day with more expected to try on the day.

"We would love it if people planned a bit more but we typically we see most orders comes in the two days before."

The red rose was unsurprisingly the most popular choice accounting for 80 per cent of their flower sales on Valentine's Day.

Countdown said the majority of its Valentine's sales began from 4pm today, with a baffling 60 per cent of sales happening after 3pm tomorrow.

Valentine's Day was the second most popular day for buying flowers at Countdown behind Mother's Day.

Sale indicated more was spent on Mother's Day, she said.

The most popular gifts were boxed chocolates, soft toys, cards, and freshly cut flowers.