Ordering Advice:

The best advice to remember is to keep the order as general and open as possible.  Because flowers are usually better in some seasons and not others, it is wise to allow the florist to pick the types of flowers used so they can give you the best quality.  Some flowers, such as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums, are available all year.

In addition, not all colors are available for all types of flowers.  While you can specify the overall color or colors of the arrangement (e.g., spring colors, fall colors, pastels, etc.), it again is wise to allow the florist to pick the individual colors and flowers so they can give you the best quality.

Floral designers are very creative individuals.  Rather than specifying the precise location of every flower in the arrangement, tell them the overall "look" you want (e.g., round arrangement, loose flowers in a vase, etc.) and let them use their creativity to do something spectacular for you!

Make sure you have the complete street address of the recipient.  The florist's delivery person cannot make a delivery to "the big white house next to the park" easily.  If the address is for a large office building, specify the building name since these types of buildings often do not have easily seen street numbers.

If possible, have the telephone number of the recipient.  In a worst case scenario, it might be necessary to contact the recipient to get further directions.  While it may "spoil" the surprise of getting the flowers, it is usually better than not getting the order delivered at all.

While some florists will take an order to be delivered in the A.M. or P.M., it is usually impossible to have it delivered at a particular time of the day (i.e., 2:00 P.M.).  Because of traffic, pending funerals, weather and many other things, it very difficult to predict where the delivery van will be from one minute to the next.  If the delivery is for someone at a place of employment, give the florist the time the person will be there at work.

Place your flower order early, especially for holidays.  By placing the order a few days ahead of the delivery date, you give the florist the chance to order the product you want if they do not already have it.  Additionally, florists usually have a limit to the quantity of orders they can deliver for a particular holiday.  By placing your order early, you will make sure you are one of those able to get their orders filled.