Working with flowers for more than twenty years has given me an opportunity to learn first hand about the pros and cons of flower buying. My hands on flower education has taught me that not all sources are created equal. This stands true for the florist purchasing wholesale cut flowers as well as for consumers purchasing flowers from retail shops.
First off, not all flowers are top grade. Many times customers have asked me why flowers typically cost more in a flower shop than in a supermarket. My feeling on this are two fold, one being that supermarkets have much larger buying power than a small florist and two that many of the florist buy a higher grade flower to set themselves apart from the larger markets. If you cannot compete on price, the best line of action is to have a superior product. During the nine years I have owned Gifts from the Heart Florist I have worked hard to perfect my buying skills. My main goal is to give my customers a a beautiful flower that turns into a long lasting experience. The longer the flowers last the more value my customers will see and confidence they will have in me.
On a practical note, having some basic rules of thumb will help you purchase better blooms. Always check the bottom of the bouquet and the center to see if the greens look fresh, stay away from any with dark green slim on the lower portion of the stems. The water should always look and smell fresh, you don't want to purchase flowers that are sitting in old dirty water. Take a good look at the heads of the flowers, if they appear to still be opening and have an overall vibrant and perky appearance you should give them a try. The true test will be that they last you ten days or longer, depending on the types of flowers. I'm very proud that over the years I have received many phone calls from satisfied customers who were pleasantly surprised that the bouquet they purchased from me two weeks ago was still going strong.
Always recut your flowers every other day, give them fresh water and enjoy!
