Isn't it just easier to order internet flowers, like Martha's or whatever? The small town local florist isn't my first choice.

i work at a florist!

visit the florist's website, even if you aren't ordering a particular arrangement - you can always tell them what you like and what you don't like about arrangements you see on their site.

do you like arrangements that are short and compact (contemporary, pave style) or do you want something taller?

and yes! flowers vary by season and location, we dont have every single flower you've ever seen in stock at all times.

a lot of customers act like an arrangement is somehow "premade" - exactly like the picture they ordered - and it just magically arrives at their door.
remember someone has to arrange the flowers that you are ordering - so dont be afraid to ask questions before they do it!

If you do want to support a small florist over big Internet florists (don't get me started on their growing practices and what workers at those greenhouses are exposed to so we can have sunflowers in the middle of the winter), the best way to do it is to call a florist local to your delivery site directly. Don't let a florist local to you do an FTD or Teleflora order. Things always get lost in translation on those orders, and you'll save at least $10 in Teleflora/FTD fees by just calling someone in the area where you want the delivery made.

If you're going to order flowers over the internet, I would recommend finding local florists that are close to the recipients address. This cuts down on the carbon emissions to get the flowers delivered and usually means that you won't have to pay extra to have them delivered the next day. Plus, if the recipient loves the flower arrangement, you may have just introduced them to their new favorite florist.

some websites overseas (south america) where they charge you $5 extra and they send me a picture of the receipient getting the arrangement. i wish they would do that here...

I send a lot of flowers (huge family), and I always start with telling the florist what I DON'T want (daisies, greenery, nothing that'll die in 12 hours) and then tell them to just use whatever they have on hand that's freshest and pretty. Practically foolproof.

i love these tips. i always have to order flowers for clients, etc. and it's so difficult to talk to florists I'm not familiar with!

i've had to order flowers for people who are very demanding (ie: only liking certain types of flowers, colors of flowers, and arrangements) and for those people I always specify what the person wants (and make it very clear that they will be unhappy if anything varied is delivered). When I'm ordering flowers for someone far away, I always call a nice hotel in the area (four seasons, etc.) and ask the concierge of a local florist that they use and recommend. Ordering flowers that way saves the Teleflora charge and I feel more confident than just picking a florist blind off the internet.

So funny... I was just discussing this with a friend at work the other day. She's from Staten Island and told me about calling a florist there to get an arrangement sent to a friend. When she specified no baby's breath, no ferns, the woman taking the order on the phone yelled back to the florist doing the arrangement, "Hey Frank! Make it Manhattan style!"

I sent my mother flowers for mothers day the first time last year (before I was a very broke college student, so I just sent a card!) and I just looked up the local florist in her area and called them. I told them what I wanted to spend, they described a handful of options and my mom loved them. I think the point of sending flowers is that it's a lovely gesture; the exact flowers that get sent don't matter so much. Lucky for me, my mom felt the same way.

I specify no 'goldenrod.' It makes me sneeze.