Customers have enjoyed farm-fresh flowers from Flowerbud.com since 1999. If you or your recipients enjoy the gentle art of flower arranging, Flowerbud.com may be the best flower delivery service for you, because the service does not arrange the flowers for you. This can be fun for some, an inconvenience for others. If you'd rather purchase an arranged vase of flowers, 1-800-Flowers.com has the best and largest selection we tested.
With this service, you order your flowers online and they are delivered in a shipping box. You or your recipient take it from there as far as trimming stem ends, arranging the flowers and placing them in a container. This firm provides no prearranged bouquets of flowers, although you can get live plants that are already potted. While some people enjoy arranging their own flowers, to not even have the option of sending finished bouquets takes away some of the convenience of online flower delivery.
In many cases, you can order flowers with a vase, or you can have them arrive in a box if the gift recipient prefers to use one of his or her own vases. Depending on the size of the order, you can get more than one floral arrangement out of one shipment.
Not surprisingly, considering the company's name, nearly all of your flowers arrive in the bud stage. This gives you or your recipient the pleasure of watching them open and ensures that they arrive in a fresh state and last for a while, but, just like having to arrange them yourself, this can be an inconvenience that takes patience for some people.
We ordered a large mixed bouquet that, according to Flowerbud.com.com, arrived as expected – in bud form. It looked a little odd initially, but as the bouquet became hydrated and rested after its journey, the flowers and greenery flourished and looked wonderful. This flower delivery company also includes flower care tips on its website.
This site features a wide selection of floral products, including a variety of calla lilies, gerbera daisies and orchids. You can also get seasonal flowers, such as tulips and irises in the spring. The person who gets your gift can enjoy the best flowers of the season. The company also offers the Year in Bloom program, which can brighten your loved one's life through weekly, bimonthly or monthly floral deliveries.
Flowerbud.com.com does not directly provide non-floral gifts, but it now has a partnership with another firm, Stargazer Barn, which sells jewelry, wines, desserts and more. If you're looking for gift baskets, Harry & David offers an average selection of flowers, but its gift baskets are the best we tested.
Flowerbud.com.com has enjoyed a longstanding commitment to eco-friendly practices. It now sells only American-grown flowers because its owners believe that the flowers will be fresher, the environmental practices can be more easily evaluated and this policy will help guarantee American jobs. (Stargazer Barn shares this philosophy regarding American-grown flowers).
You can order bulk flowers online for weddings or other events from Flowerbud.com. This is definitely a do-it-yourself project. For example, you can get an enormous box that includes bright daisies in mixed colors, or you can get a single type of flower such as a Stargazer lily. Those who love hands-on activities will really get into this, but, as with the site's other offerings, it can be tiresome if you're used to flowers coming prearranged. The site's funeral flower page includes only a limited selection of bouquets. There are no wreaths, sprays or casket flowers.
This service's website is pretty and well organized. It offers a regularly updated blog, a patron appreciation program that provides a $75 coupon after you have made 15 floral purchases, and a monthly newsletter. You can order flowers and gifts either online or by phone, and you can track your order online. FedEx Overnight handles the delivery, so while you can get flowers to someone quickly, same-day flower delivery is not possible.
One unusual aspect of Flowerbud.com's service is that the standard overnight shipping charges are already included in the price of the flowers. This is nice while you are perusing the products, because you know that the final charge generally is what is listed on the product page unless you specify a Saturday delivery, upgrade to priority overnight or send flowers to Alaska or Hawaii. Flowerbud.com previously offered some international delivery, but it now delivers flowers only in the U.S.
Flowerbud.com is not a traditional florist that provides structured arrangements. This is one of the best online flower services if your intended recipient enjoys arranging their own flowers for their home or special events, but it does not fit the bill when you need the convenience of such things as a finished bouquet with flowers already in bloom. The website itself is appealing and fun to use, though; the community feeling you get from the blog and even the text on the product pages makes you feel like you are talking to a trusted friend.
