Add a little something to your next floral gift.
Online florists as well as your local neighborhood florist make it easy for you to choose the perfect floral arrangement even when you have absolutely no know ledge of flowers. Here are a few tips to save you money when ordering flowers and make the best choice for your needs (all florists are not created equal). Finally, we've highlighted a few bits of trivia you can mention to make your gift extra special (and make you seem extra thoughtful!)
What You'll Find Here
A quick overview of things covered in this lens
- How to get the best deal on flowers whether you order them online or go to your florist
- Getting the best floral arrangement today
- Brand Name Recognition
- Footage of a flower farm in California
- But those flower bouquets at the grocery store are cheaper.
- They last long, they smell not.
- Where are the best places to buy flowers online?
- Is a rose just a rose?
- Spring Flowers
- Summer Flowers
- Autumn Flowers
- Winter Flowers
- Flower Confidential - Amy Stewart
How do you do flowers?
Loyal to your local florist, or click-and-go with an onine florist?
We all know that human contact and a personal element better ensure a good final finished product. That would mean a trip to the local florist. That can be difficult though when sending flowers long distances (maybe even with language barriers). Sometimes we just don't have time to make that extra stop. Or, we just remembered that birthday, or an unplanned event has happened (new baby) and you want to send something, but can't leave the office... There is definitely a reason for online flower delivery.
How to get the best deal on flowers whether you order them online or go to your florist
A few tips that are sure to save you a few bucks on your next floral purchase
- Order as early as possible - Not only will you probably receive discounts, your arrangement will include higher quality flowers (not the last ones from the batch) and you'll have a better chance of getting your flowers delivered on time (especially on busy holidays like Valentines Day.
- Do a quick search for online coupon or promo codes - Five minutes spent searching for coupon or promo codes can save you a percentage off your subtotal, a specific dollar amount, or even get you a few stems or a vase.
- Choose a non-traditional flower on big holidays - The price of a dozen roses does increase for Valentines Day. Orchids are just as stunning though, and in less demand. Ask your florist for other suggestions.
- Buy local, seasonal flowers - In many northern climes, this can be difficult to do during the winter. Your local florist is the best way to find out about this one. See below for an image gallery of seasonal flowers.
- If you regularly order flowers online, create a new profile - No doubt about it, your online purchases are tracked. If you're already a regular customer, chances are that you won't get offers designed to lure back one-time buyers. Create a new profile and disguise yourself as a new customer to get the hottest deals.
- Sign up for online florist email listings and reward clubs. - Most online florists will send you a coupon code or special offer immediately when you sign up for their rewards clubs or email listings.
- Just go and order from the local florist instead of online. - A large floral network will pay the florist fulfilling your order less money than if you went in and bought the arrangement yourself. To make up for this lost revenue, the florist won't use their best flowers, and may scrimp on the quantity of them.
Getting the best floral arrangement today
Tips on current floral trends and how to find a quality florist
- Good florists will use seasonal blooms. Consult our chart below to see which flowers are typical for each of the four seasons and ask which blooms will be included in your arrangement. Start wondering if no seasonal blooms will be featured...
- Current trends use a single color for the palette. Arrangements consisting of different shades of the same color are much more stunning than a mix of colors and are also currently the height of floral fashion. Opt for one color - be it white, pink, red, yellow, even green!
- Avoid carnations, babies breath and fern fronds. While making appearances in most arrangements, high-end floral arrangements will not include baby's breath or ferns as fillers, nor will they include carnations. If you want to make an elegant statement, ask that these blooms and fillers not be included in your arrangement.
Brand Name Recognition
Those are lovely roses, are they Verifloras?
Footage of a flower farm in California
Featuring the author of "Flower Confidential", Amy Stewart
Flower Confidential B-Roll
General footage of a flower farm. Filmed at Sun Valley Floral Farms in Oxnard, California.
Runtime: 6:40
516 views
1 Comments:
But those flower bouquets at the grocery store are cheaper.
Is their really a difference between the tulips at the grocers and those at the florist?
Why shouldn't you just pick up a bouquet of flowers from those buckets by the cashiers at the grocers? It's more convenient than going to the florist, and certainly cheaper than ordering them online. They're just as pretty and we have a nice vase at home!
Like all things, you get what you pay for. The life of your flower is affected by genetics as well as growing conditions. More importantly though, the conditions the flower is stored in will affect the life span of the bloom. A lack of proper refrigeration shortens the life of a flower and it will wilt more quickly. Heat sources further aggravate this problem, even the heat given off from the cash registers at the grocers! Car exhaust fumes also cause a more rapid deterioration of the bouquets sold by street vendors.
They last long, they smell not.
Your flowers are beautiful for a long time, but don't have any fragrance.
Where are the best places to buy flowers online?
You know a few names, but which florist is right for you?
- Order flowers online
- Centsible.net has researched all of today's top online florists, and found a few online retailers you may not have thought of for your flower delivery needs (overstock.com anyone?). Centsible's floral page is even complete with handy links to current coupon codes, sales or hot deals and shipping promos for their featured florists!
1-800-flowers.com
Sending your flowers through the BloomNet network.
Experiences with 1-800-FLOWERS.com
Been there, done that.
If you've ordered flowers from 1-800-FLOWERS.com (or any other type of gift for that matter), let us know about your experience with them! Thumbs up or thumbs down, we want to know!
florist.com
Sending your flowers through FTD's Mercury Network
Experiences with florist.com
Been there, done that.
Are you a previous customer of florist.com? If so, we want to know what you thought! Was your recipient pleased with their arrangement? Did it arrive on time? How was the customer service? Tell all!
FTD.com
Sending your flowers via their own "Mercury" network.
Experiences with FTD.com
Been there, done that.
If you've ordered gifts or flowers from FTD.com before, we want to know about it! Would you use them again or recommend them to a friend? What was your order? Was it a good value? Enquiring minds want to know...
Organic Bouquet
using the best certified sustainable practices including Organic and Veriflora
Experiences With Organic Bouquet
Been there, done that...
Have you ordered flowers or gifts from Organic Bouquet? What did you think of the product? Did it arrive on time? Was it a good value for the money? Let us know here!
Teleflora
Delivering your flowers via their own Teleflora network.
Experiences with Teleflora
Been there, done that.
Have you sent your flowers via Teleflora before? If you had done, would you do so again? Would you trust an important event to them, such as a 25th wedding anniversary, or just use them for a last-minute gift when you overlook a friend's birthday or want to send a quick get-well gift to the hospital but can't make it there in person? Let us know your thoughts and experiences with Teleflora.
Is a rose just a rose?
Know the different varieties available
Usually we think of red roses and true love with the mention of the word "rose". You can also choose from pink, yellow and white roses though, with each variety saying something different. When you send roses, you are sending more than just flowers or a bouquet. Roses convey deep feelings, whether of love, friendship, appreciation or sympathy.
A red rose says true romantic love.
Yellow roses convey friendship, gratitude, joy and respect.
Pink roses are sweet. Friendship, appreciation, admiration, a crush... Pink roses are more appropriate at the start of a relationship.
White roses are unique and show purity. Send white roses as a gesture of sympathy.
Spring Flowers
Send a refreshing, hopeful message of youth and renewal
A bouquet of spring flowers can really brighten someone's day. When the holidays are over and everyone is tired of cold weather and being indoors, a spring floral arrangement can really lift someone's spirits. Spring is just around the corner and a bouquet of spring blooms is ultimately refreshing!
Red Tulips signify
Yellow tulips show joy.
Purple tulips traditionally mean royalty.
White tulips are a symbol of forgiveness.
Nothing says spring more than hyacinth!
Daffodils trumpet in the arrival of spring.
Crocus flowers are another harbinger of spring.
Irises are a sure sign that spring has sprung.
The Stargazer Lily adds a touch of drama to a bouquet.
Asiatic lillies hint to warmer days ahead.
Summer Flowers
Carefree summer days brought back by flowers.
Let those lazy summer days live a little longer when you choose summer flowers. Scent takes you back to a period in time quicker than any other sense. Relax and breathe in the summer air.
Daisies speak of summer's simplicity.
Poppies bring to mind those magical fields...
Asiatic lillies radiate summer's tropical heat.
Beautiful pink begonias.
Snapdragons embody the graciousness of summer.
Gladioli (or "glads") shine of summer sun.
Gardenias give off a heavenly scent.
Pansies hold all the beauty of summer.
Violets seem as carefree as a hand-picked bouquet on a summer's day.
Blue delphiniums transport you to a summer garden.
Autumn Flowers
Autumn Harvests of flowers and blooms.
Autumn is the season of harvest. Its the last days of warmth. Bursts of warm color. The season's flowers reflect this as well.
Sunflowers epitomizes autumn flowers.
Red hot pokers capture the sunset.
Dahlias allow summer to last a few more days.
Pomegranate flowers bid farewell to summer.
The arrival of chrysanthemums ushers in the autumn.
Winter Flowers
Perhaps surprisingly, there are plenty of them!
Just because the winter months don't allow for gardening, don't fool yourself into thinking there are no seasonal flowers! Have a look at some of the top winter flowers.
An Red Amaryllis flower - one of the more splendid winter blooms.
Poinsettias are the traditional flowers of the holidays.
Cymbidium orchids are an unusual winter bloom.
Carnations are a favorite winter flower.
Paperwhite Narcissus shines in winter.
The dogwood fable is tied deeply to Christian beliefs of Christ.
Holly makes a wonderful winter filler for arrangements.
Hypernicum berries add festive cheer to blooms.
Ivy - the perfect complement to holly.
Pussywillows can embellish winter arrangements.
What are your favorite flowers to receive?
Is there a universal favorite?
Not everyone is delighted with roses. Some prefer the freshness of hyacinth, or the unique orchid. Which flower would you prefer to receive in an arrangement?
Your thoughts on buying cut flowers
Have you had good or bad experiences with a particular online florist, or even your local florist? Do you prefer to buy organic or fair-trade flowers? Did you learn anything here that will affect your flower buying habits? Let everybody know!
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Flower Confidential - Amy Stewart
Did this lens whet your appetite for a knowledge of the flower industry?
Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers
Amazon Price: $16.29 (as of 09/04/2008)
