Flower shopping tips - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

lunchbox · 03-27-2005, 02:15 PM

So here's the situation: April 12th is my girlfriends 19th birthday. April 16th is our 2 year anniversary. She lives in Detroit. I'm stuck at school in the weee point of the Upper Penninsula. For those of you who aren't from Michigan or don't know anything about Michigan that's about a 10 hour gap. I can't possibly make it down there for a day or even a few hours. I had a few gift ideas in mind but also she told me before we started going together that she had never received flowers from anyone but her dad in her life. She's a girl and sort of a hopless romantic. You know...the Frank Sinatra - would love to be taken out for dinner and dancing kind of girl. So I wanted to buy her flowers for our anniversary. I know what kind I want to get, but I need help on a reputable quality online place where I can pay with a credit card. I don't think any of the flower shops in my city would carry the flowers I want so I think online may be the only way to go. If anyone knows any sites that are great for this I would sure appreciate your help. The type of flowers are gerbera daisies. Thanks for the help everyone.

Grancey · 03-27-2005, 03:44 PM

1800flowers.com
I checked, and they do have gerbera daisies.

ratbastid · 03-27-2005, 03:46 PM

I definitely don't recommend online flowers--they're all shills for FTD, and you end up getting the same "Thinking of You (tm) Arrangement" that every other non-flower-literate schmuck ends up ordering. I expect you'll find LESS variety online than at a local florist.

What you do is, you call a florist in HER town (How would a florist in your town deliver them to her? They're not going to drive 10 hours for you!), tell them what you want and how much you want to spend. I PROMISE you, in a town the size of Detroit, you'll find a florist who can hook your girl up with some Gerber Daisies. Those aren't that hard to find. I assume she's said that those are her favorite? If not, BTW, then it's sort of an odd choice...

Anyhow, they'll take your credit card over the phone and find out where and when to deliver them, and what to say on the card (if you want a hard part, THAT'S the hard part). And if you let them know you're a flower virgin, they'll be extra gentle with you.

This has the personal touch, which is, frankly, the WHOLE POINT with flowers. Sending her a packaged, corporate floral arrangement just defeats the whole purpose.

Which florist in her town? Well, any of them ought to do a reasonably decent job. It's not Mother's Day or Valentines Day, so they shouldn't be excessively booked. A week notice ought to be PLENTY. I've ordered flowers with less than 24 hours notice before. If you know any of her friends (Or her mother! Curry favor now!) you could call and ask who's THE florist in Detroit.

maleficent · 03-27-2005, 06:05 PM

Oh booh... 800flowers I've had a lot of success with, They do use the local florists. I've sent and received flowers from them. It's the idea of getting flowers that matters, it honestly doesn't matter where they came from, whether it calling teh local florist directly or calling 800flowers and having them call the local florist.

800flowers takes the guesswork out of it. You can have some idea of what the money you are spending will buy, and you will have some idea of what the arrangement will look like.

BTW - I love gerbera daisies... give me those over roses any day of the week, and I'm a happy lady... they are pretty easy to find... any florist should have them in stock.

Grasshopper Green · 03-27-2005, 07:41 PM

I've had great success with 1800flowers.com, but whenever possible, I try to use a local florist because frankly, I'd rather support a small local business. That having been said, one reason I DO like online flowers is because I like to see what I'm ordering. I can see the arrangement in person when I use a local florist, but I couldn't if I'm sending an arrangement far away. I've never had a problem finding a beautiful arrangement online either.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck, and I hope your gf likes the flowers!!

jorgelito · 03-27-2005, 09:28 PM

FTD has worked for me. They also use local florists.

Good luck!

lunchbox · 03-27-2005, 09:28 PM

grancey, ratbastid, mal, medusa thanks for the help guys. I found a few local places that should have pretty good prices, i'll compare that with 1800flowers. You guys helped a ton, i'll bump the thread after she tells me how she likes them :P

thalakos315 · 03-28-2005, 03:16 AM

if she's a hopeless romantic like you said.. then she'll appreciate the extra effort you spent contacting the florist in her home town, rather than doing something online and impersonal.

i'd also suggest calling her about 30mins to an hour after she is due to recieve them. really let her know your thinking about her

really i'd suggest going through a florist local to her. less likely to have something get lost in the mix somewhere. you get to deal with an actual person when describing what you want, and it does seem more personal somehow. i'm sure she'll love it no matter what you decide to do though

maleficent · 03-28-2005, 10:18 AM

Why does buying flowers online equate to being impersonal? There's a local florist in my town that I won't deal with because their flowers aren't always that fresh, and their arrangements are just blah... I have never been disappointed either receiving flowers (not that it happens all that often) or sending flowers via the online services.

Unless you know the local florist personally, you have no idea what you are going to get.

But I'll say it again, it's the thought that counts... it doesn't matter where they came from.

OFKU0 · 03-28-2005, 12:09 PM

Forget the flowers and hand write a story of how much she means to you enclosed with a box of Belgium chocolate. Flowers are so cliche and unimaginative and die,..then are thrown out.

And then that can be a reocurring theme throughout your lives together.

03-27-2005, 02:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
lunchbox Thank God hockey is back Location: Deeeeeetroit	Flower shopping tips So here's the situation: April 12th is my girlfriends 19th birthday. April 16th is our 2 year anniversary. She lives in Detroit. I'm stuck at school in the weee point of the Upper Penninsula. For those of you who aren't from Michigan or don't know anything about Michigan that's about a 10 hour gap. I can't possibly make it down there for a day or even a few hours. I had a few gift ideas in mind but also she told me before we started going together that she had never received flowers from anyone but her dad in her life. She's a girl and sort of a hopless romantic. You know...the Frank Sinatra - would love to be taken out for dinner and dancing kind of girl. So I wanted to buy her flowers for our anniversary. I know what kind I want to get, but I need help on a reputable quality online place where I can pay with a credit card. I don't think any of the flower shops in my city would carry the flowers I want so I think online may be the only way to go. If anyone knows any sites that are great for this I would sure appreciate your help. The type of flowers are gerbera daisies. Thanks for the help everyone. __________________ A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. -Douglas Adams

03-27-2005, 03:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
Grancey Life's short, gotta hurry... Location: land of pit vipers	1800flowers.com I checked, and they do have gerbera daisies. __________________ Quiet, mild-mannered souls might just turn out to be roaring lions of two-fisted cool.

03-27-2005, 06:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	Oh booh... 800flowers I've had a lot of success with, They do use the local florists. I've sent and received flowers from them. It's the idea of getting flowers that matters, it honestly doesn't matter where they came from, whether it calling teh local florist directly or calling 800flowers and having them call the local florist. 800flowers takes the guesswork out of it. You can have some idea of what the money you are spending will buy, and you will have some idea of what the arrangement will look like. BTW - I love gerbera daisies... give me those over roses any day of the week, and I'm a happy lady... they are pretty easy to find... any florist should have them in stock. __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

03-27-2005, 07:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I've had great success with 1800flowers.com, but whenever possible, I try to use a local florist because frankly, I'd rather support a small local business. That having been said, one reason I DO like online flowers is because I like to see what I'm ordering. I can see the arrangement in person when I use a local florist, but I couldn't if I'm sending an arrangement far away. I've never had a problem finding a beautiful arrangement online either. Whatever you choose to do, good luck, and I hope your gf likes the flowers!! __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

03-27-2005, 09:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
lunchbox Thank God hockey is back Location: Deeeeeetroit	grancey, ratbastid, mal, medusa thanks for the help guys. I found a few local places that should have pretty good prices, i'll compare that with 1800flowers. You guys helped a ton, i'll bump the thread after she tells me how she likes them :P __________________ A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. -Douglas Adams

03-27-2005, 03:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	I definitely don't recommend online flowers--they're all shills for FTD, and you end up getting the same "Thinking of You (tm) Arrangement" that every other non-flower-literate schmuck ends up ordering. I expect you'll find LESS variety online than at a local florist. What you do is, you call a florist in HER town (How would a florist in your town deliver them to her? They're not going to drive 10 hours for you!), tell them what you want and how much you want to spend. I PROMISE you, in a town the size of Detroit, you'll find a florist who can hook your girl up with some Gerber Daisies. Those aren't that hard to find. I assume she's said that those are her favorite? If not, BTW, then it's sort of an odd choice... Anyhow, they'll take your credit card over the phone and find out where and when to deliver them, and what to say on the card (if you want a hard part, THAT'S the hard part). And if you let them know you're a flower virgin, they'll be extra gentle with you. This has the personal touch, which is, frankly, the WHOLE POINT with flowers. Sending her a packaged, corporate floral arrangement just defeats the whole purpose. Which florist in her town? Well, any of them ought to do a reasonably decent job. It's not Mother's Day or Valentines Day, so they shouldn't be excessively booked. A week notice ought to be PLENTY. I've ordered flowers with less than 24 hours notice before. If you know any of her friends (Or her mother! Curry favor now!) you could call and ask who's THE florist in Detroit.

03-27-2005, 09:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	FTD has worked for me. They also use local florists. Good luck!

03-28-2005, 03:16 AM	#8 (permalink)
thalakos315 Tilted	if she's a hopeless romantic like you said.. then she'll appreciate the extra effort you spent contacting the florist in her home town, rather than doing something online and impersonal. i'd also suggest calling her about 30mins to an hour after she is due to recieve them. really let her know your thinking about her really i'd suggest going through a florist local to her. less likely to have something get lost in the mix somewhere. you get to deal with an actual person when describing what you want, and it does seem more personal somehow. i'm sure she'll love it no matter what you decide to do though

03-28-2005, 10:18 AM	#9 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	Why does buying flowers online equate to being impersonal? There's a local florist in my town that I won't deal with because their flowers aren't always that fresh, and their arrangements are just blah... I have never been disappointed either receiving flowers (not that it happens all that often) or sending flowers via the online services. Unless you know the local florist personally, you have no idea what you are going to get. But I'll say it again, it's the thought that counts... it doesn't matter where they came from. __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

03-28-2005, 12:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
OFKU0 Junk	Forget the flowers and hand write a story of how much she means to you enclosed with a box of Belgium chocolate. Flowers are so cliche and unimaginative and die,..then are thrown out. And then that can be a reocurring theme throughout your lives together. __________________ " In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.