Agreed. Local florist for sure.

If you are not in the same town as your mother, then go online, but choose one that is not an FTD or one of those. Independent florists seem to be more creative. If you were outside Philadelphia, I would have the perfect one for you.

I like to go with local, independent florists. Not sure what is growing where you are, but nothing says spring and old-fashioned to me like lilacs.

I always have the same answer.

I love Farmgirl Flowers and BOUQs. Both are lovely, unique, and very tasteful. The flowers are casual ...they dont need to be arranged per se, and can be sent w a vase or not. I don't know many adult women who want another vase tho.

Bouqs has more selection and they also offer a very nice small bouquet. Large bouquets and big vases are ungainly for older people.

I have exceptions where I know local florists. My hometown, our main house, and our Maine house, some places in NYC and places where we used to live in NJ.

I just ordered flowers a few days ago from a florist where I grew up and who I have worked with for 25 years... they do gorgeous work. I ordered this:

They sent this:

They called me and said they did have those color flowers and could they do pinks? They said it was hard to get things. IMHO what they did was night and day. Nowhere near as nice as what i ordered. They know better if you ask me. If there were no virus, they would have already suffered my ire. I'm afraid its somehow biatchy under the circumstances.

Bouqs and Farmgirls will send exactly what you order. They are well run businesses, and they don't let Gladys pick what she thinks looks pretty. People bemoan big bad business , but regardless of size you need to perform if you want customers.

I'm sorry that's what you ended up with, mtnrdredux_gw. Not only did they not have the right color flowers, they went from a Nantucket-look basket to a cheapo genreric basket. There is no contrast in the color of the flowers and they stuck a large caladium leaf in the center, which makes no sense in terms of the scale of the arrangement.

Love Farmgirls too! Ida, local for sure. They always let you know what the recipient will receive and we need to keep the local businesses going right now. By phone or pick-up, of course. ;)

IMHO the second is nicer as it has live flowering plants in it!! Don't send flowers that will be dead in a week. Get a lovely living flowering plant that could potentially give her flowers all summer!!! It will be cheaper too. But for sure go local. Always go local--especially in these times. We really need to keep businesses open!!!

Arcy, many people prefer plants to cut flowers but that is not what Mtn ordered and the arrangement she got varies greatly.

Ida - I asked similar question two weeks ago as I was sending flowers to my mom in remembrance of my dad’s birthday. Got very similar responses. Since I am the type of who likes to talk to the actual flower arranger I ended up calling local. I talked with a lovely woman, I told what flowers and greens mom doesn’t like and said don’t use those, I said what colors I wanted and a price range. Mom got a very lovely bouquet.

I have had nothing but bad luck with Bouqs. I’ve tried them 2 or 3 times and the quality of the flowers was a huge disappointment. They’ve always given me a credit when I called about the flowers, but after a while, I just gave up.

I want to try Grace Rose Farm, but I’ll have to wait until after Mother’s Day. They have stopped taking orders for Mother’s Day, but aren’t these roses gorgeous!

Another Farm Girl fan. Their flowers are gorgeous. Locally owned florist or garden shops are also a good choice, as long as you can see their work online. I buy orchids, plants and houseplants at a local garden shop that does fabulous arrangements.

Our favorite florist is a husband/wife duo who have been in business for over 30 years and have numerous awards from the Philly Flower Show. They deliver to a wide area as part of a delivery pool and we've used them for years. I call them directly rather than order from their online site and always ask what they have that's fresh and long-lasting. Nothing is worse than receiving an expensive arrangement with flowers that are past their peak.

If I'm sending out of the area I still call a local florist and ask the same questions - and I think it helps assure a nice arrangement.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. Mtn, I'd be very unhappy with the substitutions in that arrangement as well. It went from looking artisan inspired to something one might be able to pick up in the grocery store!

I do like Farm Girl, but they are sold out of everything.

Maybe not flowers? I am sure the great minds here can help you think out of the box. I got my mom a box of nice colored pencils because she mentioned in conversation, when I told her I was coloring, that she had bought a coloring book and colored pencils a while ago but the pencils were awful and so she never colored. I know my mom, she is very cheap, and I am sure she spent fifty cents on them lol.

Mom likes the clothes at Soft Surroundings, and I can get her an egift card if I don't come up with anything else. I'm actually starting to think that might be a better idea than flowers, which my out of state siblings may be already sending.

Farmgirl flowers is sold out for this week-- I had wanted to order purple tulips for her because my dad would often surprise her with them and she was always so delighted that he thought to get something "different". I'll save them for another day.

I am not sure what I will do now-- I want to get her peonies but so far have not found a vendor for them.

FWIW when ordering from a local florist, I call and ask what they have that they like best and ask them to make an entire arrangement out of that one type of flower. Nothing succeeds like excess and a profusion of a single bloom can look stunning, and rarely looks bad.

IMHO the second is nicer as it has live flowering plants in it!! Don't send flowers that will be dead in a week. Get a lovely living flowering plant that could potentially give her flowers all summer!!! It will be cheaper too.

Are your referring to my post?They both have plants Arcy. The one I ordered has mini rose plants and african violets.

BTW I totally disagree with "Don't send flowers that will be dead in a week. " In fact I'd say, don't send someone a plant that is a responsibility to take care of and that they may not have a place to plant or may not be gardeners. Think about what I sent. One is a houseplant (read: liability) and the rest of it would be like an asterisk in any garden. My flower beds have large masses of one kind of flower. Id have no place to plant two measly roses. I sent a plant in this case because I knew her tastes and knew she would not be inhibited about throwing it out when it was done blooming if she chose. Oh and BTW this was NOT cheaper than cut flowers by any means.

So people think I should complain? Does anyone else feel inhibited about complaining about anything during an epidemic, I do!

Funky, I made a special trip to Whole Foods to see if I could get more of those amazing peonies I had last week. No...but i did get purple tulips. Two kinds, solid and with white stripes. You could try calling Whole Foods? A person at the deli counter went out of his way to do something for me and when I told him it was not necessary, he said they all don't have much to do because of restrictions on the number of customers, and so are happy to be busy!

I want to get her peonies but so far have not found a vendor for them

I'm not sure where you live, IdaClaire, but you might want to check to see what local flower farmers near you have available. Until this year, many sold to florists and for the wedding market, but a lot are now doing direct sales. This is one of the better comprehensive directories,

https://www.floretflowers.com/directory/

Click on "Explore the collective".

Mtn thank you for the tip on whole foods-- they always have lovely flowers. Unfortunately, there is not one in my area. It's 2 hr to the nearest. It would be the kind of thing I'd have seriously considered roadtripping for (I am THAT crazy for the right gift)-- but not now.

OMG Funky write Mr Bezos, you deserve your own Whole Foods!

Maire Cate, would that be Wally and Booker? That is who I was talking about in my post. Years and years ago, Wally showed up at my home for a party with an armload of the most beautiful cut flowers ever. What a wonder he is and Booker, too. Love them both! I think their arrangements are what I miss most about not living up there anymore. Seriously.

Oh, Mtn...that is almost laughable if it weren’t a gift for someone! It looks absolutely nothing like what you ordered. Not sure if it was the owner who called you about the substitution, but I would send the owner a picture of what was received. I am sure they are struggling like many businesses right now...but I think that means quality should matter more to them, not less. I would give them an opportunity to address it. I am sure you would write a constructive email that wouldn’t seem petty...if I were an owner I’d want to know my customer wasn’t pleased with my product.

Mtn, glad you made the comment about potted plants vs. cut flowers. I would just as soon someone give me a kitten or a puppy as a potted plant. I do not want something else to take care of. I have 2 houseplants (and no pets). The only reason they are still alive is because they are *very* hardy. Orchids are the only exception and I throw them away when their blooming has finished.

Cyn - that's too funny - when I read your post I was going to ask which florist you meant but I was on my way into Philly. I looked up Wally & Booker and found their shop Trillium is in Ardmore. I'll have to add their name to my file in case I ever want to send flowers to that side of the city. Their reviews were really good.

We've been using Flowers by David in Langhorne, Bucks County, PA. One of DH's offices was near their shop and he'd stop in to pick up flowers on his way home or order an arrangement for special occasions. They did the flowers for many of our corporate events and my son's rehearsal dinner. We've also had them handle the arrangements for a few international orders. I enjoy dealing with them and frequently request exotic or Zen style arrangements.

Has anyone ever ordered from Olive and Cocoa? For some reason I've been receiving their catalog and they have some interesting arrangements. I've even been inspired to try my hand at re-creating some.

https://www.oliveandcocoa.com/category/floral-gifts

Since your mom lives near, here is my suggestion. This is truly what I would like if I were your mom LOL. Go to a local garden center. Buy her a live bush, plant or tree. One of the best gifts I was given one year (bday I think) was a lovely rose bush. You could always give her a gift certificate at a garden center also. There is one in the big city here that has tons of pots, flags, etc. things besides plants. I would go crazy with a gift certificate! My MIL is getting a large potted mandevilla vine. She thinks we are taking her out also, but sorry, not ready to go in a restaurant at this time. We'll pick up some fancy chocolates, something from a bakery, etc. for her also. (PS as Mt. mentioned, only give her this type of gift if it's something she'd like. I love receiving fresh flowers also, but having something in my yard that reminds me of the giver is lovely.)

Actually, a gift card to our local nursery is an excellent idea. She's pretty particular about her plants, but she does love hanging baskets and items for her porch.

Maire Cate, yes, they used to be right in the center of Gladwyne when they first started. I call from here in Virginia when I need to send flowers to anyone at home! I wish they delivered here. Just a bit too far. Ha.

A hanging basket for the porch can be a delightful gift

@maire_cate, I received a succulent gift from Olive & Olive last year. The container was beautiful. The plants looked healthy. About a month later, I noticed the soil didn't seem to be absorbing water, so I decided to buy succulent soil and repot in a large container. The dirt was rock hard around the plants. It was like they had taken them out of the tiny plastic pots, and the dirt did not loose its shape (or take in water). I broke the dirt away and the plants are much happier in their new container. I did loose one of the 5 original plants.

Thank you Allison. The arrangements in the catalog are intriguing and the containers are part of the attraction but I always wondered how well they would hold up in shipping. I thought the succulents might be a better idea since they're plants and not cut flowers. That's really disappointing though to hear about your experience - succulents need a porous, sandy media not rock hard dirt.

My hairdryer died and the one I bought last time is discontinued, so i went to Target to see what was available. And ... fyi they had purple tulips! So Funky maye you can call your local Target. They also had daffodils.

I have contacted local florists in out-of-town areas, and asked what Zalco recommends--what do they have available, and how can they make it pretty? Florists are business people, but they also tend to be wonderfully creative when given a bit of reign.

IdaClaire, a gift card and a (socially distant, responsible) outing actually seems ideal, though, if your mother would prefer that. Most of the fun is in the browsing.

In our area, it is asked that only one member per household go on shopping errands.

My friend is in a resident, not a nursing home. More like individual apt. for seniors. They have been told that no flowers or home made baked goods are allowed to be delivered for Mother’s Day. I am not sure why.

Actually, a gift card to our local nursery is an excellent idea. She's pretty particular about her plants, but she does love hanging baskets and items for her porch.

IdaClaire, we get my mil a hanging basket every year for Mother's Day. This year our favorite greenhouse made a website, so customers can place their orders ahead of time and then pick up curbside.

mtnrd, it's the same here, in our part of Alberta. Only one person from each household/family is allowed at the greenhouses and nurseries. One place is allowing two shoppers max in each greenhouse.