Picking just the right florist
When sending flowers this Mother's Day, beware, not all shops are peddling the same bouquets
With Mother's Day just a week away, many dutiful offspring will opt for flowers as the easy yet thoughtful gift for dear mom.
But beware: Not all florists are the same and not all bouquets are created equal. The Globe tested four florists - two local favorites, Winston Flowers and University Florist, and two national brands, FTD and 1-800-Flowers.com.
We placed each order by phone, asking for a mixed bouquet that included tulips for $75, or as close as they could get with taxes and delivery included. The quality of the service varied tremendously, as did the quality and size of the bouquets. And we found you pay for the cost of convenience: both national services sent the orders to local florists and the orders were botched in one way or another.
Two arrangements looked puny: Winston's with a few artful and pricey flowers, and 1-800-Flowers.com with cheap daisies and none of the requested tulips.
The FTD-ordered flowers, sent through Boston's Exotic Flowers, did not include the requested message on the card. While secret admirers are enticing, most givers want some credit for their thoughtfulness.
But the worst part? Some of the flowers didn't make it past the first day. Flowers ordered through 1-800-Flowers.com, and delivered by A Bella Mia florist in Norwood, already looked haggard when they arrived. And though we paid $73.98, the flowers were all cheap, filler varieties.
Meanwhile, by the second day, the lilacs in Winston Flowers' striking display had already wilted. When contacted by the Globe, a Winston Flowers spokeswoman asked to see a photograph proving that the flowers had faltered. We declined, and in an e-mail, the firm later said: "Winston Flowers provides its customers with the freshest florals. Handpicked from the finest selection and imported directly from all corners of the globe, we offer nothing but the highest quality product, customer service, and creative design."
Jim Cahill, who runs the New England School of Floral Design in Norton, said florists often get a bum rap from customers. He trains professional florists and has worked in the industry for more than 25 years.
He said florists should provide fresh blooms, guarantee the flowers for the first 24 hours, and provide instructions on how to care for them. Only two companies provided us with instructions, which we followed.
He recommended buyers stick with reputable local florists who have been around for a while. That's why he recommends Winston Flowers. "Any local florist would be very concerned with customer satisfaction," Cahill said.
Such local florists should also be able to help even if you are sending flowers to someone across the country, he said, as they have networks of peers to recommend.
He said while the national companies offer convenience - and sometimes FedEx the flowers themselves - they take a commission on each order a local florist fills, which means fewer flowers for your money.
"They automatically take 20 percent out," explained Melissa Neal, owner of University Florist in Cambridge, which won our vote with a beautiful bouquet. "The florist has no choice. They take it out of the arrangement."
Larger florists can offer a broader selection and may be able to go to the flower markets each day to buy fresh blooms.
