The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

Florists and the flower industry prep for their 'Super Bowl': Valentine's Day

By Leoneda Inge,

Published February 8, 2024 at 1:04 PM EST

Adanna Omeni, owner of 1 Blossom 2 Bloom Floral Design in Durham, NC

Did you know that Valentine's Day is the floral industry's "Super Bowl?" It's their first major selling event of the year, with about 30 percent of annual flower sales taking place in the days leading up to the Day of Love.

We spoke with one local florist, Adanna Omeni, about the types of floral requests she receives this time of year.

Melinda Knuth, assistant professor of horticulture science at North Carolina State University

We also spoke with Dr. Melinda Knuth, an assistant professor of horticulture science at North Carolina State University, about flower sales and sourcing this time of year.

Guests

Adanna Omeni, owner of 1 Blossom 2 Bloom Floral Design
Melinda Knuth, assistant professor of horticulture science at North Carolina State University

Due South

Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Jeff Tiberii

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Jeff joined WUNC in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and WUNC’s Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary “Right Turn,” launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.

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Stacia Brown

Stacia L. Brown is a writer and audio storyteller who has worked in public media since 2016, when she partnered with the Association of Independents in Radio and Baltimore's WEAA 88.9 to create The Rise of Charm City, a narrative podcast that centered community oral histories. She has worked for WAMU’s daily news radio program, 1A, as well as WUNC’s The State of Things. Stacia was a producer for WUNC's award-winning series, Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon and a co-creator of the station's first children's literacy podcast, The Story Stables. She served as a senior producer for two Ten Percent Happier podcasts, Childproof and More Than a Feeling. In early 2023, she was interim executive producer for WNYC’s The Takeaway.

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