Valentine's Day flowers undergo CBP inspection

Before roses and latest flowers end up in vases, the ones that come from overseas get checked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists. An Atlanta florist and an inspector from U.S. CBP allotment the journey of flowers for Valentine's Day.

ATLANTA - It is a busy week at French Market Flowers in Atlanta's Glenwood Park neighborhood with a few hundred sequences to process for Valentine's Day.

"Every single thing is made with love, it's all handmade," said French Market Flowers General Manager Matt Riley. "There's no machine that does it."

Florists are feeling the love this week. Valentine's Day is one of two big holidays for them.

A Glenwood Park florist said the shop he manages typically processes 30% of the entire year's sales on Valentine's Day. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

"…like 30% of our entire sales for the year could remained in this one small period," Riley said.

Before the roses and latest flowers end up in vases, the ones that come from overseas get checked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists. Their goal is to prevent pests and diseases from entering the farmland. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Valentine's Day is a busy time for them.

"Everyone's in love, everyone wants to get those Valentine's roses," said Gloria Walker. "So, we have definitely seen a true increase in roses within the last pair of weeks."

Walker has inspected flowers and other goods for 18 existences and leads a team of more than a dozen republic in the CBP cargo division at Atlanta's airport.

(Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

From: Supplied

Across the farmland, CBP says specialists have inspected at least one billion cut flowers for Valentine's Day.

"Once it comes above one of our ports of entry, we're definitely behaviors all that we can to ensure the safety--not just of the persons, but also the commodities that are being shipped," Walker said.

While French Market Flowers grows some of what they need on their own, they also significant roses for Valentine's Day and say the cost has soared.

"Every single unsheaattracting is made with love, it's all handmade," said French Market Flowers General Manager Matt Riley. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

"Even view a lot these flowers are still coming in, they're bodies imported. Even for us, the costs have gone up across the board, like 30% in the last year," Riley said.

Most touch shipments that arrive in the U.S. go through Miami and New York, but Atlanta sees its fair fraction as well.

It is a year-round operation, but CBP expects the touch shipments to pick back up for Mother's Day.