Avoiding the Floral Frenzy : If you plan to send a Mother’s Day bouquet, get busy. Florists are girding for their biggest day of the year.

It’s funny how some political deeds can have unforeseen consequence in the marketplace. When President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first national Mother’s Day in 1914, who would have thought the second Sunday in May would become the biggest business day of the year for U.S. flower shops?

Let this bit of historical trivia serve as notice. If you haven’t placed your order for that traditional show of love and observance--which comes in the form of a fragrant, Technicolored medley of blooms and assorted greenery--then get busy. Time is waning.

Area florists are swamped preparing for Sunday’s onslaught of bouquet pickup and delivery. Their advice: If you haven’t done so already, place your order no later than today or Friday.

“People don’t realize how hectic Mother’s Day is,” said JoAnn Wyman, proprietor of Loma Vista Florist in Ventura. “It’s the largest floral holiday.”

Think about it, she said. “Everybody has a mother--whether she’s living or dead.” (A considerable amount of business, Wyman said, comes from those shoppers who adorn their mother’s grave site annually with a flowery memorial.)

Orders that are placed in a timely manner can be prepared far more efficiently, Wyman said. The procrastinator runs the chance of having to settle for something less than the usual complement of flowers because of depleted supplies. Wait to the last minute on Mother’s Day and you are in danger of not getting a delivery at all because florists will have probably reached their capacity, she said.

In all, an estimated 21 million people will honor their mothers with bouquets of flowers this weekend, according to the Floral Index in Chicago.

Though custom-made arrangements are common, many shoppers will instead chose from a standard line of bouquet options, which range in size and price.

On the low end, basic mixed arrangements start at about $20 to $25. Depending on flower quantity and variety, prices begin to creep up between the $30 to $50 mark. Prices can also fluctuate depending on the type of vase or basket you choose.

Mother’s Day bouquets are generally replete with the pastel colors--the lavenders, mauve, etc.--and bright spring hues such as yellow, white and pink. Flower varieties can include carnations, lilies, daisies, chrysanthemums and tulips. But choices certainly not limited to these, said Bridget Donlon of Flowers By Paulann in Oxnard.

“Mother’s Day comes at the perfect time of year because there are so many types of flowers available now,” she said. “It’s almost limitless.”

Mom should expect her bouquet to remain in a table-worthy state for about one week, though freshness will begin to fade in a couple of days. Donlon offered some tips to help prolong the life of a bouquet.

Be sure to water the arrangement daily. Or, if the flowers are contained in a vase, be sure to add that small packet of floral sugar that accompanies most vase arrangements. For some of the longer living flower varieties, such as roses, a pinch of sugar can be added to the water each time it is changed, which should be weekly, she said. Also, when changing the water, snip off a small portion of each stem.

In the unlikely event Mom’s bouquet arrives in a wilted state, simply give the florist a call. Most businesses offer “freshness” guarantees and will replace the bouquet.