With all the bustle in February at Down to Earth Flowers and Gifts, it would be easy to think that Valentine’s Day is the biggest and busiest day of the year for the shop. Easy, but wrong, because Mother’s Day tops them all.

“Lovers live local, but mothers are all over the place,” explained Juliana Blanks, assembling bouquets at her design table.

Blanks is one of a handful of designers working for Down to Earth owners Maggi and Bill Whitaker, who’ve operated Down to Earth in Snoqualmie for more than 10 years. Maggi is also a floral designer, and the shop is her passion.

“I love flowers, and I’ve always wanted to do something with them,” she says, which is why the couple started what was the only flower shop in town at the time, in the spot that is now The Bindlestick.

Since then, the business has flourished, despite increasing competition from the Internet and other shops. With its focus on individual customer service, Down to Earth has built a loyal customer base. They provide flowers for some Web-based services, too, but advise clients to call them directly. Not only is it cheaper, but they’re assured of getting what they want.

“I guess that’s the difference,” Maggi said. “If you don’t want anything in the pictures (on a website), you can call us and order what you want.”

Down to Earth outgrew the 400-square-foot space in 2005 and moved south to Newton Street, still the only flower shop in Snoqualmie. That building was a little too big. Then it flooded two years in a row, and “with all the dire predictions for this year, we thought it was time to get serious about moving,” Maggi said.

The new shop, at 8096 Railroad Ave. S.E., is the right size, Maggi says. The gift area up front is spacious enough to offer a good selection, but small enough that the designers working in the back of the store won’t miss it if a customer needs something, she says. The reverse is also true, and customers can see into the design area.

“I think it’s fun to see the designers work,” Maggi said.

If you listen, you can also get some great advice from them, maybe better than Mom’s.

“A penny in the vase does not keep tulip stems straight,” designer Jona Sharp said. Tulip stems keep growing after they are cut.

Some old advice is accurate, though. A splash of bleach in the water will kill bacteria and keep cut flowers fresher longer. So will changing the water every three days, which is Blanks’ number-one tip.

“If there’s no bacteria in the water, it can’t get up the stems,” she said.

Sharp contributes a few more. “Always try to keep them in a nice cool place — not on top of the TV,” and “Once a stem is out of the water, you have to recut it.”

Past the design area of the shop, the back doors are open to the public. They lead to easier parking, and to Maggi’s ultimate goal, the little yard just outside the building. It needs some cleanup, but Maggi plans to create a courtyard and plant flowers out there, for all to enjoy.

“Just to be able to sit in a garden. That’s my dream,” she said.

Down to Earth is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. They deliver throughout the Valley, to Issaquah, and to Snoqualmie Pass. For more information, call 425-831-1772, or 866-291-8553.