In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine’s Day.

The scamper for flowers and chocolates has intensified since then.

Larry Warden and Rob Allen at Warden & Company Garden Center and Florist on Broadway Avenue in Bowling Green said they will be working on Valentine’s Day – which falls on a Sunday this year. They will even deliver flowers to the restaurant where that special dinner reservation is planned.

“We can put them right on the table,” Warden said.

Warden & Company is also there for procrastinators, too.

“If a husband wakes up at 2 a.m. on Valentine’s Day and realizes he forgot to order the flowers, they can leave us a message and we’ll call them back,” said Allen, who has been designing floral arrangements for more than 20 years.

Allen said he enjoys putting together arrangements, especially a display of roses where each rose can be seen in the display.

“The key to this is quality,” he said.

“It’s got to be right,” Warden added.

The goal is to exceed customers’ expectations.

“When someone picks up their flowers and says, ‘Those are better looking that I thought they’d be,’ that keeps us going,” Allen said. “We’re tired when it is all over.”

A dozen long-stemmed roses for $59.99 is the big Valentine’s Day seller, Warden said.

Warden said the flower ordering process is a dance between making sure enough flowers have been ordered to meet the customer demand, balanced with making sure the flowers are fresh.

“We will deliver to businesses and homes anytime Valentine’s week, and also on Saturday and Sunday,” Warden said.

Warden said nearly all Valentine’s Day flowers will be delivered to residences. “We’re going to work around lunch and church,” he said. “A lot of people will pick up their flowers on Friday and Saturday.”

Allen said many people pick something other than roses, particularly younger patrons, who might choose tulips.

Many men looking for suggestions call the shop and say they don’t know what to get, Allen said.

“I ask them if she has a favorite color,” Allen said. If she likes pink, pink roses might be the answer, he said.

Instructor Roger Dennis said Western Kentucky University Florist on Regents Avenue will be busy leading up to Valentine’s Day. WKU offers a dozen roses professionally arranged with greenery for $69.99 and other floral arrangements.

“People will have stuff delivered from the 10th on,” said Dennis, who works with another instructor and six students at the operation. Floristry is offered as a minor at WKU, and many students pursuing hospitality or event planning specializations take the classes.

Shayla Sweeney at Deemer Floral Co. said her shop offers a dozen roses for $79.95. With a Sunday Valentine’s Day, Sweeney said the orders will probably be spread out over the week.

The red heart-shaped box full of chocolates remains popular, the proprietor of a local shop said.

Cocomo Confections & Deli is closed on Sundays, so Maggie Copeland said her customers will need to purchase and pick up their hand-dipped chocolates at least the day before Valentine’s Day.

Copeland believes this Valentine’s Day season may extend to the Thursday before the holiday. The shop, which also has dining seats for 65, sold 120 dozen chocolate-covered strawberries last Valentine’s Day.

The top seller at Cocomo Confections is caramel dipped in chocolate and topped with sea salt.

Her mother, Hendricka Bohlen, taught her how to make Dutch butter cake with an almond-paste filling. Her store also has Dutch marzipan dipped in chocolate.

“Some nights we have people standing,” she said of those who have taken in the nostalgia look of the deli on Wednesday nights after church. Classic music plays on the stereo, such as “At The Hop,” and the glassed display case for chocolates and other confections harkens back to another era.

“We wanted that old-time, candy store look,” said Copeland, whose store has been open about 16 months.

Cocomo is really three shops in one – chocolate specialties, desserts and ice cream and hot and cold sandwiches, Copeland said. The hot sandwiches are paninis – including “The Godfather,” which is filed with roast beef and sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers smothered in provolone cheese, according to the menu.

The old-fashioned ice cream sundaes are a favorite with customers along with a host of desserts, including eclairs, brownies and lemon bars, Copeland said.

With flowers and chocolates in hand, patrons can take part in a dinner during Romance at the Railpark at the Historic RailPark and Train Museum. The event is Feb. 12 through Valentine’s Day, each day beginning at 4 p.m.

There is a romantic diner in the Duncan Hines Dining Car. The dinner is prepared by Sweet Temptations Catering. There will be jewelry on display by Morris Jewelry and a cash wine bar hosted by Reids Livery Winery, according to a Facebook post of the event. Reservations are required.

Many other Bowling Green eateries will be offering Valentine’s Day specials.

— Follow business reporter Charles A. Mason on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.