For flowers, let personality be your guide
Jimmie Palakavong zips around his Boston flower shop, Lotus Designs, and picks out red ginger, orange pincushion protea, an assortment of roses and lilies, yellow orchids, even peacock feathers.
He deftly snaps off the stems with a knife, and in about three minutes he's assembled a Mother's Day bouquet -- albeit one more suited for a mom who prefers the exotic.
Personality is a good place to begin when shopping for flowers, says Palakavong, who opened his South End shop 11 years ago. Consider the tastes of the person you're buying for -- would she prefer something vibrant and unusual, prim and pastel, or a mix of creams and whites? Palakavong says the same rules apply to choosing flowers for a wedding.
''The bouquet basically can be white, off-white, or colorful," he says, showing off a bundle of cream roses dressed up with pearl pins.
According to the Society of American Florists, Mother's Day, which is next Sunday, accounts for one-fifth of the floral purchases made for holidays. And because there are many different types of flowers available in the spring, the floral company FTD says customers should not have a difficult time finding something suitable.
Many florists have a selection of arrangements to choose from. If you want something more customized, Palakavong recommends starting with a price range and a color theme. Lilies, tulips, and lilacs tend to be popular springtime options, and his store is also stocked with bins of orchids, ''cabbage" roses with full, bushy blooms, and bright Gerbera daisies.
Palakavong, a native of Thailand, studied engineering before finding his ''passion" in flowers, and he now has a staff of about 10. Lotus Designs charges a minimum of $50 if you want the flowers delivered, plus an additional delivery fee that starts around $9.50. Most customers buy arrangements in the $50-$100 range, but Palakavong says florists can also put together simple bouquets for $15 to $20.
David Winston, co-owner of Winston Flowers, which has seven stores in Greater Boston, calls peonies and lilacs the essential spring flowers and says the store will often dress up its arrangements with more unusual selections such as orchids. Most arrangements cost in the $75 range, he says -- that price, for example, will get you a bouquet of about 25 short-stemmed roses in a cube-shaped vase. The store charges a minimum of $10.50 for delivery.
Palakavong is up by 5 a.m. every day to visit the Boston Flower Exchange, which sells wholesale to florists. To test the freshness of flowers, Palakavong advises checking out the leaves. Like vegetables, they shouldn't be wilted, but almost crunchy when you roll them between your hands. Dehydrated stems can be placed in warm water to help them perk up, he says.
Cut flowers will generally last a week. Palakavong recommends changing the water once a day -- you might need someone to hold the arrangement while you clean out the vase -- and adding the preservative that most flower shops provide.
As for his own floral preferences, Palakavong declines to play favorites.
''It would be unfair for me to say I like one more than another," he says of his flowers. ''I love them all."
Emily Shartin can be reached at eshartin@globe.com. 
