The Best Bloom For Your Buck

It's no big deal if you go to the store, pick out flowers and bring them over to mom's house. But if you order over the phone or on the Internet, you never know what's going to show up.

So The Early Show ConsumerWatch correspondent Susan Koeppen decided to do a Mother's Day flower test, ordering from some very big names in the flower business: FTD.com and 1-800-flowers, plus two local flower shops. Then she waited to see what would show up.

New York City chef Steve Calise specializes in food, not flowers. But on Mother's Day, he always orders his mom a bouquet.

He says, "As soon as you hang up the phone, you kinda wonder, and even when you do it online, even though you see the picture there, is that exactly what I'm going to see on the doorstep on Mother's Day?"

With Koeppen, he purchased several bouquets for his mom: First, over the phone from 1-800-Flowers; then, on the Internet from FTD.com.

With The Early Show footing the bill, Calise sent his mom two arrangements from each service: one for $50, the other for $75. Koeppen also had him call and order flowers from two random florists near his mom's home in Connecticut.

And Koeppen was there with his mom on the day the arrangements arrived.

"I think the arrangement is absolutely gorgeous," Calise's mom, Trice, said, pointing out one 1-800-flowers arrangement (the $75 one) she liked in particular. "They did a very good job. It has a lot of flowers, not a whole lot of green."

Next, she evaluated the other two from the local flower shops.

"I think there's value there. I like the choice of flowers," Trice Calise said.

And finally, the arrangements from FTD.com were evaluated. Comparing the $50 bouquet to the image on the company's Web site, Trice Calise said, "Oh my goodness! It looks nothing like that."

As for the $75 arrangement, she said, "I would be very upset if I'd seen the original picture and that arrived on my doorstep."

But what would a real flower expert say?

Koeppen took them to Gregory Chugranis. He's executive secretary of the New York Retail Florist Association and his family has been in the flower business for 99 years.

He critiqued the flowers and then he was told where they came from.

First, the bouquets from 1800 flowers – $50, plus taxes, plus delivery. His response? "Outrageous."

Chugranis said the flowers looked like they were arranged by an amateur, and in the more expensive bouquet, he said some of the flowers had defects.

"The sunflowers have seen better days; the lilies are not good quality," Chugranis said.

The local flower shops did better. The $75 arrangement had good quality flowers - in good shape.

The $50 bouquet had some brown spots on the roses, but when it came to price, Chugranis said, "I would say no more than $50." He guessed it right. So we got our money's worth.

With FTD.com, Koeppen ran through a checklist of the flowers that were supposed to come with the bouquet: Pink astromeria, purple lisenanthis, and white daisies. But they were not part of the bouquet.

"You didn't get what you ordered," Chugranis said and noted the $75 dollar bouquet was also missing many of its advertised flowers. He says consumers should complain when this happens.

He asked, "If you go to a restaurant and order a steak and they bring you chicken, are you going to complain? Even if the chicken is delicous? Of course."

In the end, the mom and expert gave the rosiest review to a $75 bouquet from a local flower shop. It uprooted the competition, offering the best bloom for the buck.

Koeppen contacted FTD.com and 1-800-flowers. Both companies say they have a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Customers can get a full refund or get new flowers if they are not happy. FTD says that in some cases, when requested flowers are not available, substitutions will be made so the delivery can be made on time.

Both FTD.com and 1-800-flowers say they usually ask a local flower shop to make the bouquet. Those flower shops have specific guidelines they're supposed to follow.

To make sure you get what you want, experts say to call the flower shop or use a company that you really trust. Build a relationship and see if you're happy with those flowers. And keep calling that same company.