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Tips When Buying Flowers Online

myarn | May 27, 2011 | 0 comments

The difference between heading to your local flower shop and purchasing flowers online is primarily just convenience. While you may be able to find a cheaper iPod online, such is not really the case with a flower delivery. Generally, a big national name will be serviced by local florists anyway, so the prices are usually comparable. There are other points to consider when ordering blooms online though.

First of all, when buying flowers via the internet, you’ll need to be aware who you’re ordering from. Since anyone can open a website, you’re not necessarily ordering from an established florist. Some mom-and-pop flower shops service just a small area and have a website taking online orders for local deliveries only. Other times, a national website will be equipped to handle online orders, yet will expect local affiliates to fulfill the arranging and delivering for them. A third possibility is that you’re ordering from floral growers, brokers, shippers or marketers that ship unarranged flowers in a box by overnight air. It’s easy to assume that all flowers are delivered by hand in a beautiful vase, yet when you’re ordering from these guys, they will send flowers in boxes and you’ll need to do the arranging when they arrive. If the price seems “too good to be true,” then you may be ordering directly from a grower.

Another factor you may want to consider when purchasing flowers online is purchasing eco-friendly, organic, VeriFlora-certified or fair trade flowers. “Buying ‘green’ flowers is a great way to support better farming practices all over the world, and they’re priced competitively,” explains Amy Stewart, author of “Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers.” At www.organicbouquet.com, all flowers are grown and harvested “using practices that aim to improve the quality of farm working conditions, minimize damage to ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, and enhance environmental quality for future generations.” Additionally, you can choose a bouquet where all proceeds are donated to Oceana, PETA, the Nature Conservancy, the Humane Society or another earth-friendly charity. Another organic site is www.flowerbud.com.

If you have waited until the last-minute for a special occasion, then you’ll be happy to know that same day flower delivery is available at www.ftd.com, www.1800flowers.com, www.bloomstoday.com, www.proflowers.com, www.fromyouflorists.com and more. Buying flowers online is the best way for an under-achiever to transform himself into an over-achiever with the click of a button. Just be sure you take into consideration your loved one’s favorite flowers, colors and personal tastes.