Melony Knudtson of Bancroft’s Flowers in Cedar Falls loads lilies Monday in preparation for Easter services. Melony Knudtson of Bancroft’s Flowers in Cedar Falls loads lilies on Monday, April 6, 2020, in preparation for Easter services. Florists are seeing their sales nipped in the bud during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and Iowans are following mandated social-distance guidelines. Special occasions for flowers, in particular weddings, funeral services and celebrations of life, are being postponed to later dates. The public also may have assumed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ order to shutter florists and other retail businesses through April 30 meant no flowers or plants could be sold. But like restaurants, many local flower shops are open to fill phone and online orders, providing no-contact deliveries and curbside service for customers willing to pick up their orders. Customers can’t enter the shops. “I’ve only been in business since Sept. 1, and it’s been pretty tough, but we’re pushing through. It’s kind of crazy getting a new business going, but now six months in, we have COVID-19, and it’s crazy times 10,” said Melony Knutson, new owner of Bancroft’s Flowers in Cedar Falls, Iowa’s oldest flower shop. Knutson and other florists are feeling the impact in sales, particularly now with Easter lilies. Churches traditionally adorn sanctuaries and chapels with fragrant, pure white Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum). Historically, it is said these trumpet-shaped lilies grew in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ’s crucifixion. They are often described as “white-robed apostles of hope” representing the resurrection of Christ and everlasting hope. David Austin English Rose ‘Emily Brontë’ is an exceptionally beautiful, repeat-flowering rose with distinctive flat blooms. The flowers are a soft pink color with a subtle apricot hue. Sized 3.5-inches across, […]