Florists race to deliver for Mother's Day, graduations and musicals

P.E.I. is experiencing a flower boom as Mother's Day, graduation season and several cultural events drain florists of their bouquets. 

Alan Preston owns Hearts and Flowers in Charlottetown. He's been working flat out for the last week. 

"It's been terrific, it's been insane, it's been wonderful," he said Sunday. "It takes a lot of co-ordination to get it done. We have three trucks on the road."

Mary-Kate Stuart specializes in bouquets and baskets at the flower shop. 

I hope mine does the same when she gets old enough to have a credit card.- Mary-Kate Stuart, mom and flower arranger

"I hope that another mum likes it and I hope that it makes their day, because it's from their kid," she said. 

More than 1,000 University of Prince Edward Island students graduated this weekend, making it the largest class ever. 

Charlottetown Rural High School is also performing Grease this weekend and people are buying flowers for the performers. The city is also hosting a dance recital.  

All that put extra demand on florists. 

Hearts and Flowers handles local orders, plus orders from Islanders across Canada sending flowers to their mothers. 

"That's wonderful you know, that even if they're on the other side of the country that they can still call and think about mom," Stuart said. 

"I hope mine does the same when she gets old enough to have a credit card."

It wasn't just about mothers on Sunday — Alan Preston's son Harold helped his father deliver flowers. 

"It does make the mothers overjoyed when they do get remembered on Mother's Day," Harold Preston said.