The front counter at Tama Florist was a busy place on Monday, Feb. 14 as Valentine’s Day shoppers came in to place last minute orders or pick up flowers for their special someone. Pictured behind the counter are Jody Karkosh, Rick Simpson and John Karkosh helping out Wade Brown and Joy Keahna with their flower purchases. – Photo by Darvin Graham

One of the biggest holidays of the year occurred this week for florist retailers around the country.

In Tama, the staff at Tama Florist have been bringing smiles and brightening the Valentine’s Day season for people in the Tama-Toledo community for more than 40 years.

Last year, owners John and Jody Karkosh celebrated 40 years as owners of the little red flower shop in Tama, one of the few destinations in the area offering full-service floral arrangements and gifts.

Preparations for the Valentine’s Day holiday had been in the works at Tama Florist for the past month as the Karkoshes were quietly holding their breath waiting for supplies, flowers and merchandise orders to arrive. Recent supply chain issues caused delays in some of the orders at the flower shop, though thankfully most orders reportedly arrived in time, just not in a predictable fashion.

Valentine’s Day action on Monday, Feb. 14 started early for the Karkoshes as they arrived to the shop on the east end of Tama around 5:30 a.m. in order to get the place ready to facilitate not only a steady stream of customers but also a team of 16 workers that pitch in on busy holidays to keep the small business running smoothly.

Delivery volunteers at Tama Florist took a brief moment out of their busy Valentine's Day afternoon for a photo. Pictured are Norma Kriegel, Mac Chyma, Betty Karkosh, Pat Albert and Becky Faircloth. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The business opens multiple phone lines to make sure nobody gets turned away by a busy signal. A group of four designers work on putting together arrangements during the day while another team of people focus specifically on deliveries. Another person remains working solely at the computer through the day while the rest of the group helps as needed with orders or at the front counter.

The holiday crew arrived at the shop around 7 a.m. Monday morning and Valentine’s Day deliveries began almost immediately, going out to homes and businesses in all directions within a 20 mile radius.

An organizational system of coolers staged near the rear door of the shop helped separate the orders by morning or afternoon delivery and by the location they were to be delivered to that day.

Owner John Karkosh said this year’s Valentine’s Day came together quite well. Orders for flower arrangements were up compared to last year and some mild winter weather allowed for delivery drivers to get to and from their deliveries without having to fight snow and ice.

In recent years Karkosh has noted flower varieties like lilies and gerbera daisies have gained popularity among the traditional Valentine’s Day floral fare like red roses and carnations.

Floral Designer Barb Mason prepares a Valentine's Day arrangement during a busy holiday on Feb. 14 at the Tama Florist on E 5th Street in Tama. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

Karkosh said despite the recent trends, he noticed customers seemed to want more singular rose arrangements this year.

Tama Florist has also committed to keeping their flowers affordable to the community in Tama-Toledo despite market costs that have crept up over the years. Karkosh said they’ve kept their Valentine’s Day rose prices the same for close to 20 years.

The Valentine’s Day frenzy finally let up around 6 p.m Monday evening, which made for a full, yet fulfilling day for the group of family members and friends helping at the shop.

In years past, Karkosh remembers occasions where funerals would sometimes come up on top of their major holidays. One year he remembers them working three funerals the same day as the Valentine’s Day holiday.

“When that happens, we usually work all night,” he said.

Trevor Rohach is all smiles as he heads out with his flower order on Valentine's Day at Tama Florist. He is pictured with shop owners John and Jody Karkosh. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

At the busiest point of the day Monday, Karkosh said customers were standing shoulder-to-shoulder in their 566 square-foot retail showroom waiting to put in orders for their special someone.

“Jody and I both work out in the flower shop a lot because we like working with the public and seeing people we know,” Karkosh said. “We enjoy helping people in a way that makes their Valentine’s Day special”

Karkosh said even 41 years into their career as florists in Tama that there are still volunteers that show up to help on busy holidays that have been with them for 40 years. Similarly, he said there are also local customers and their families that have made Tama Florist a part of their yearly holiday experience for the past 40 years as well.

“Over the years, there’s people that will order from us every year,” Karkosh said. “They’re really good about ordering flowers in advance and that’s become very helpful to us so that we can make sure we have the flowers that we need.”

Though the Karkoshes have been the face of the business for many years, the legacy of the flower business at their 1200 E 5th St. location in Tama dates back much further.

Deliveries head out the back door of Tama Florist on their way to their destination on Valentine's Day. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The location is said to have begun as a greenhouse in 1853 by the Waller family. Through the latter half of the 19th Century the place changed ownership multiple times with the greenhouse being owned by Fred and Elizabeth Dagner, George Maxwell and then Richard Appleton who is believed to have owned and operated the business from 1878 until 1918. The oldest part of the store itself was built in 1920 according to county assessor records. Additions to the building were added as time went on prior to the Karkoshes taking ownership.

The business became known as Tama Florist in 1940 by then owners Stan and Velma Schreiber.

The Karkoshes came to the business simply enough in 1981 when they moved back to the Tama-Toledo area looking for a viable line of work in their hometown community.

Though a comprehensive history is unlikely to exist, it’s probable that Tama Florist lays claim to being one of the oldest businesses in continuous operation in Tama County.

The decision to put roots down in Tama and continue the legacy floral business in the community remains simple for the Tama couple as well. It comes down to the ideas of home, family and community.

Chris Van Hamme was one of four designers that were hard at work on Valentine's Day preparing arrangements for hundreds of customers in the Tama-Toledo and surrounding areas. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

“We both were born here and raised here,” Karkosh said. “We’ve kept the business here because we just like the area, the people, you know, everything.”

Tama Florist owners Jody and John Karkosh help a customer on the afternoon of Valentine's Day at their shop in Tama. Last year the couple celebrated 40 years as owners of the business. -- Photo by Darvin Graham