How To Choose Between Online Florists

Online trade is becoming increasingly popular.  You can shop online for anything these days and you don't even need to shop from your own country!  Online shops will take your order and have it shipped to wherever you may be.  The same can be said for an online florist.  Online flower sales are on the rise and is proving to be the easiest way for you to send flowers.  Just as there are so many florists in your area to choose from.  So too are there many online florists to choose from.  Here are a few helpful hints that will help you make the right decision when looking for the best online florist for you!

Step 1: Start early

The most important piece of advice is to start shopping early.  There is nothing worse than shopping in a hurry.  This goes for online shopping too.  If you are in too much of a rush, you tend to miss things and you could even miss out on some fantastic savings and deals.  The great thing about online florists is that you can place your order in advance and it will remain in their system only to be prepared when necessary.  You can arrange the day on which the bouquet needs to be delivered and it can all be done and paid for in advance.

Step 2: Shop around

Any time you go shopping for something in particular, you probably always compare prices at various stores.  Why should flower shopping be any different?  Think of each website as a different store and make your comparisons.  When doing this, make sure that you compare both quality and price.  For instance, one florist might be more expensive but with a far superior product so it's worth paying a little bit extra.

Step 3: Check their policies

Each company has their own terms and conditions as well as policies.  It is always a good idea for you to make sure that they deliver to your area first.  There really is no point in searching through all their lovely bouquets only to find that they can't deliver to your part of the world.  You should also check on their satisfaction policy.  For example, make sure that they are prepared to replace the bouquet or refund you if you are not satisfied with the flowers you receive.

Step 4: Look for promotions and offers

Always keep an eye out for promotions, sales, discounts and various other incentives such as free flower delivery.  This comes in handy when comparing prices because, when you do, you need to compare the complete price including taxes and delivery fees if applicable. 

Step 5: Make sure that they are easy to contact

Customer service is important in any line of work.  You should make sure that they are easy to contact just in case you need to reach them urgently.  Many online florists have online support which is a great solution these days.  You don't need to spend time on the phone and the respond promptly.

Step 6: Secure payment method

Make sure that their payment system on the website is secure.  This can be verified by going to the payment page.  You should see a stamp with a logo and link to a secure payment company.  This ensures your safety as an online shopper and is essential.

Gloriosa Lily Flower Facts

With their fiery pink petals and truly unique upward facing petals, the gloriosa lily is a much desired flower for many occasions including weddings.  A bouquet of gloriosas bundled together is more than enough to make any bride smile as she takes a trip down the isle.  If you are considering having your florist add gloriosa lilies to a bouquet for you, you might want to learn a bit more about these flowers since it will help you provide them with the best possible conditions to maintain their fresh appearance.

The flower is native to the more tropical parts of Africa such as Zimbabwe.  It still has a relatively short history of cultivation but, these days, can be found in countries like Holland and Australia.  For the most part they are sold as stems that include both fully opened flowers and some buds.  This is so that you have a full, beautiful bouquet for a longer period of time. 

Because they are naturally found in a tropical environment, it is important to keep the environment around the vase similar to that.  You can do this by making sure that there is always enough fresh, clean water in the vase.  Top up the water as you see necessary and change the water regularly.  You will also need to add floral preserve to the water so as to ensure that the closed buds will open to display beautiful flowers just bursting with colour.  Also, because of their natural tropical home, these flowers should never be placed in any kind of fridge.  Feel free to spray them gently with water every so often to increase the humidity levels around the flowers.

If you live in an area that you believe suitable for the growth of gloriosa lilies, you are welcome to try growing them in your own garden.  Gloriosas are grown from tubers.  When you plant the tubers in your garden, it is very important that you keep the soil nicely moist.  Dry conditions are not suitable for these flowers and too much water will cause the roots to rot.  A balance is needed in order to help them thrive.  If the air is quite dry, you can create a humid environment for your gloriosa lilies by running a tube with holes next to them.  Connect the tube to a hose and allow water the water to run.  As the water reaches the holes, it will spray out in a mist and, along with the high summer temperatures, this will increase the level of humidity.

Finally, gloriosa lily plants need quite a bit of room to grow so they need to be planted at least 6 inches away from each other and any other plants.  You want to make sure that each plant has enough room to grow sufficient roots so that the plant is properly fed and hydrated.  The soil in places like Zimbabwe is extremely fertile so, in order to create the same ideal environment.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nf4000/5738770747">Nick Fedele</a>

Tips For Sending An International Flower Delivery

The world has become such a small place.  With modern transport and travel methods as well as trade agreements and a vast improvement in the area of communications, you could be in London one day and Washington the next.  So many people travel all around the world for both business and personal reasons.  A lot of the times they find themselves out of town or even out of the country over an important period of time such as a loved one's birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and so on.  Our crazy lives even make us forget about these occasions until the last minute so how can you make sure that your partner isn't going to be upset with you for forgetting a certain special day?  Quite simply, an international flower delivery is sure to do the trick!  Not so sure about that sort of thing?  Well, for so many people these days, it's even easier than having to go to an actual flower shop!  Here are some tips for you to remember when sending flowers to an overseas location:

Firstly, do yourself a favour and make use of an online florist.  That is, unless you are happy with paying a really high phone bill and giving them your payment details over the phone.  You need to remember that international phone calls can often have a delay on them which makes communicating tough at the best of times.  A delay means that you talk and the person on the other end only hears you a number of seconds later.  This can cause you to talk over each other and things can get really confusing.  Also, depending on the country you want to send flowers to, there might be a language barrier.  Online florists have their websites based in a number of languages so you will find one that you are most familiar with.

When selecting an online florist, make sure that they deliver to the country you need to send flowers to and confirm any delivery fees.  Many online florists offer free flower delivery as well as same day delivery or next day flowers even if they are for international destinations.  When placing your order you will also need to make sure that they can make the flower delivery on the date you request.  Compare all these factors as well as prices and, only after you have taken all of these matters into consideration, then you should make your final decision. 

Whatever you do, any time you order online, always make sure that the website has a secure payment system.  Don't take any chances!  Check their satisfaction policies just in case the bouquet arrives and it is not quite up to standard.  Make sure that the online florist you are using is willing to make it up to you in one way or another.