Tag Archives: Flower

It’s been just over a week since many people received flowers for Valentine’s Day. Are yours still alive? Mine are, but fading fast. While the holiday may be in the past, Mother’s Day is just around the corner and there are some valuable tips I learned this holiday that may save you next time around.

I wrote in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day about gifts that won’t break the bank. Floral arrangements that last, like orchids, were one example given. You can find them for $15 at big box home improvement stores. My fiance read my article and swung into action ordering an orchid arrangement. What a perfect gift or so we thought.

My fiance outdid himself ordering an orchid from a floral shop. It arrived in a vase with pussy willows, some greenery, and yes those dreaded roses. While my fiance specifically said not to include those pricey Valentine’s Day roses, especially after my post, we didn’t make a big deal about them. The arrangement was nice and had that orchid. It’s the thought that counts, right?

The orchid came in a vase with water. I thought it was odd as you don’t usually see orchids in a vase, but I didn’t think much more of it. Of course the floral place knows more about keeping them alive than me, right?

When I arrived to work this past Monday, I noticed one of the blooms was shriveled up. Several others had black spots that appeared to be mold. So, I began researching orchid care instructions. Shocked, I found most sites said orchids don’t like constant water. It makes them rot.

That day I ran out in search of the special orchid soil and pulled them from that constant water. I couldn’t find the soil, and finally called the floral shop out of desperation. Clearly the woman knew there were two types of orchids because she asked me if mine were in water when I asked her about re-potting. I was shocked at what she said next. The florist cut a fresh orchid that won’t live several months or years as expected. It will die soon. That certainly defeated our purpose of ordering an orchid.

So often I find miscommunication is to blame for discrepancies in the floral industry and any business for that matter. I think it just irritates floral customers more because of the cost involved with an arrangement, the purpose of them, and the short lifespan of flowers. Consumers don’t know all the intricacies of flowers, delivery, or the business so it’s easy to feel misled. I don’t think we were misled, but it felt that way. I blame miscommunication for the problem. My fiance probably said orchid not realizing there were two types, and he got the wrong one. However, you’d think the florist would ask which type of orchid if there is a difference in longevity.

Of course, my fresh orchid will last longer than fresh flowers. However, two weeks is definitely not two months as I expected. It’s not just men that don’t get what they expect.

Delivery fees
On a separate occasion, I ordered a floral arrangement for a friend through a different business in a different city. I said I wanted to pay $100. I specifically made sure I didn’t say I wanted a $100 arrangement knowing there would be delivery fees and taxes tacked onto the final price.

We talked about why the arrangement was being sent, what I was looking for, etc. Delivery was never mentioned. When I received my credit card statement, I was charged $20 more than I expected. In this case, I was out that $20 because I’d already collected the money from my friends who were part of that $100 arrangement.

Why was delivery conveniently left out of the conversation? I blame myself for not asking that question, and I blame the business who deals with these situations everyday for not making it more clear. Once again, miscommunication was to blame.

In that call, the business graciously refunded me the delivery and admitted they should have made that clear.

I will note that my fiance also mentioned he paid more than expected. Not being on that call, I can only guess it was the delivery again.

My point in all of this — you can’t spend long enough talking to the florist when you place an order. Ask lots of questions including how long that arrangement will last. If you want something specific, make that clear. Don’t leave anything open for interpretation. Flowers are not cheap, so make sure that money is well spent. It’s still the thought that counts, but that thoughtful person should still get the most bang for their buck!