How to order flowers, with AI or a real florist
Ordering flowers has never been easier. You can ask your phone and they’re on the way. But when it matters, the easiest order isn’t always the best one. Here’s how to get flowers that look right, last longer, and give you more for your money.
I Speak Flowers doesn’t take orders or a cut. We help you find a real florist so you can call them directly.
Find a real flower shop near you
Defining a real flower shop
Real flower shops, defined by real flower shops.
Seen the I Speak Flowers car? William Kennicott is visiting florists across the United States. Call 530-317-2026 or email wjk@wwcfc.com with questions or to request a meeting. Tour schedule
At the direction of real florists, the World Cut Flower Commission defines what a flower shop is. Every shop on this list has been measured against the current definition, which flower shops will review and update every year. It is a starting point until working florists write the full standard. Each location is judged on its own.
Find a real flower shop near you. Enter a postal code to see the qualified flower shops in that area, then contact them directly.
How do we know these shops are real? See how we check the list →
The florist’s slogan
Every campaign this trade has run had a slogan for the flower: “Say It With Flowers” in the United States since 1917, “Think Flowers” and “Flowers. Alive with Possibilities.”, “Sag’s mit Blumen” in Germany, and “We Need More Flowers” across the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and France. None has ever had one for the florist. I Speak Flowers is that slogan. Say It With Flowers is 109 years old. As flower shops keep disappearing from our towns, it is time for a refresh.
I Speak Flowers is that refresh, and it is meant for the public as much as for the trade. Look for it on the front door of a flower shop, on its delivery vans, and on the box your flowers arrive in. Wherever a shop displays it, the shop meets the I Speak Flowers definition and appears on a public list anyone can check. The full standards are to be written by working florists. One phrase, used by qualifying shops in every country, becomes a name the public learns to look for.
Only a shop that meets the standards can use it, and that is what gives it meaning. A customer who sees I Speak Flowers can look the shop up here and confirm it. The window decal is $7 for any qualifying shop, member or not; members may use the slogan everywhere else.
Is your shop on the list? Claim it. Then sign your city’s Statement of Support so suppliers and other partners can see who’s in and help pay for local marketing, which lowers the cost for every florist.
Who better to say what a flower shop is?
A butcher can tell a real butcher shop at a glance. So can a baker, a wedding dressmaker, or anyone who has run an event venue. Every trade knows its own. I Speak Flowers applies the same principle to flowers: flower shops will write the standards, and every shop on this list will be measured against them.
From the founder
I grew up in Barrington, Illinois. Search for a florist there today and the internet returns at least 33 businesses from somewhere else. Barrington has two florists, and neither appears on the directories that rank first. The same is true in Los Altos, California, and Beaconsfield, England. Independent flower shops in the United States have fallen from nearly 27,000 in 1992 to fewer than 12,000 today.
We can’t wait any longer for an industry to adjust. The reason is AI. Customers now ask AI where to buy flowers, and AI answers from the lists with the most marketing behind them. No single flower shop can outspend the wire services and paid directories. Together, florists can. Pooling their marketing behind one list, defined by florists and worldwide, is how real flower shops will be found. That is I Speak Flowers.
The mark on the road
I Speak Flowers is being built as a movement across the flower industry.
Florists, the movement needs your help. Speak with other florists, and speak with your suppliers. Ask every supplier one simple question: do you support the real flower shop? A supplier that does should be willing to put some of its own marketing behind flower shops. It is also good promotion for the supplier: its florist customers see a company that stands behind them.
Growers, wholesalers and shippers that support real flower shops can carry the mark on their boxes, vans and trucks. Each one becomes a moving billboard that shows florists the industry stands behind them and sends the public to ISpeakFlowers.com, where every listing is a real flower shop.
The decline of the independent flower shop is not confined to one country, and neither is this effort.
When a florist asks that question, the mark on the box, the van or the truck is the answer.
Suppliers that want to use I Speak Flowers on their delivery trucks, outgoing boxes and website, or in their own marketing, can contact the World Cut Flower Commission for the details. Information for suppliers
A mark on a truck shows support for flower shops. Only a flower shop can be listed.
Consumers – Help keep the site accurate
The first version of this list was built from public business records, and some listings that do not meet the standards have almost certainly slipped through. We would rather hear about them than leave them in place.
If a listing is not a real flower shop, whether it is an order gatherer, a floral counter inside another store, or a business with no shop a customer could walk into, use the Not a flower shop? link on that listing. Every report is reviewed against the published definition, and the shop is given the chance to respond before anything changes.
Questions the public asks
Who decides what counts as a flower shop?
Flower shops. Not growers, not wholesalers, not a wire service, not a trade association, and not this organization. The current definition has been in force since September 2026, and flower shops will review and update it every year. Every version is published with the date it takes effect, so a shop can read what it agreed to and see what changed.
Does a flower shop pay to be on the list?
No. Every shop that meets the definition is listed, whether or not it holds a membership. No shop can pay to be listed, and no shop can pay for a better position. There is no premium placement, no sponsored result and no advertising of any kind on the list.
Is this a wire service or an order gatherer?
No. A wire service accepts an order and passes it to a shop, keeping a fee. An order gatherer advertises as a local florist in a town where it has no premises, takes the order, and forwards it to whichever shop will accept the remaining margin. This is neither. It is a register: a published definition, a list of the shops that meet it, and each shop’s own telephone number. No order reaches any shop through us.
Use AI to get ready
AI is a great place to start. Tell it who the flowers are for, what they love, the occasion, and your budget, and it will help you put your thoughts into words.
Just know that AI wants to please you. A 2026 study in the journal Science tested eleven major AI systems, and every one of them leaned toward telling people what they wanted to hear. So push back with questions:
- Are you sure?
- What would a professional florist say?
- What am I missing?
Then take what you’ve learned and call a real florist.
When AI is enough, and when to call a florist
AI is fine when you just want flowers to land on a doorstep and it’s not an important moment, or you’re reordering something you’ve already bought from a real local florist. Many florists are building for exactly this.
Call a florist when it matters: a funeral, a wedding, an anniversary, an apology, someone special. A florist knows what’s appropriate to send, what size fits the moment, and what’s in season this week. If the flower you picked is just coming in or going out of season, they know the one next to it that’s even more beautiful right now.
Before you call: what a florist will ask you
You don’t need to know flower names. A florist will guide you with a few simple questions. Have these answers ready and the call takes five minutes:
- Who is it for, and what’s the occasion?
- When and where should it arrive? Order a couple of days ahead if you can. Your florist can buy fresh just for you.
- What’s your budget?
- Colors? Soft and pastel, bright and bold, all white, or the person’s favorite color.
- Any favorite flowers? Or flowers to avoid, such as strong scents or allergies.
- What shape, size and style? See below.
- What should the card say? A florist can help you word it.
How to describe the arrangement
Pictures online can be confusing, and many of the arrangements you see may not be available where or when you need them. Florists describe arrangements by shape, size, style, color and flowers. Use the same words and your florist will know exactly what you mean.
1. Shape
| Shape | What it looks like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Round | A full dome, the same from every side | Birthdays, get well, a coffee table |
| Oval | A softer, stretched round | Centerpieces, a side table |
| Triangular | Tall in the middle, sloping out to both sides (symmetrical), or tall on one side (asymmetrical) | Sympathy, church, a formal entry |
| Horizontal (long and low) | Wide and low, like a rectangle | Dining tables, so guests can see each other |
| Vertical (tall) | Narrow and tall | Lobbies, offices, small spaces |
| Crescent | A curved half-moon | An elegant, modern touch |
| L-shape | Tall on one side, long along the base | A mantel or a side of a casket |
| Hogarth (S-curve) | A graceful S-shaped line | A dramatic, classic statement |
| Fan | Spreads out wide from a low center | A wall, a ledge, a stage |
2. Size
Tell the florist where it will sit and roughly how tall and wide it can be: a small desk, a kitchen island, a hospital room, a funeral home, a church altar. Hospital rooms and offices usually need something smaller and easy to move.
3. Style
- Classic (traditional): full, balanced, symmetrical, often triangular or round.
- Modern (contemporary): clean lines, fewer flowers with more space between them, often asymmetrical.
- Garden (natural): loose, airy, like it was just picked.
- Tropical: bold, exotic flowers and big leaves.
4. Color
- One color (monochromatic): all white, all pink, all red. Simple and elegant.
- Tone on tone: shades of one color, from light to dark.
- Soft and pastel: blush, lavender, cream, pale yellow.
- Bright and bold: hot pink, orange, purple, yellow.
- Their favorite color, or the colors of a room, a team, or a wedding.
5. Favorite flowers
If you know their favorite flower, say so. If you don’t, tell the florist what they love, a place, a season, a memory, and let the florist choose. Mention any flowers to avoid, such as strong scents or allergies.
By occasion: words florists use
- Sympathy and funeral: standing spray (on an easel), casket spray (on top of the casket), wreath, heart, cross, sympathy basket, or a plant for the family’s home.
- Wedding: round bouquet, cascade (trailing) bouquet, hand-tied bouquet, boutonnière, corsage, centerpieces, altar arrangements.
- Everyday and gifts: vase arrangement, hand-tied bouquet, basket, box arrangement, plant.
Found a picture online? Show it to your florist as a starting point for shape, color and feel. They’ll make it with what’s freshest that week, which is often even better.
Every shop’s flowers vary with the season and the market. That’s a good thing: you’re getting what’s freshest that week.
Who really speaks flowers?
A grocery store speaks groceries. A wire service speaks commission. Only a real florist speaks flowers.
The middleman takes a cut
Wire services and order gatherers were built before Google, when you needed a phone book to find a florist in another town. Today, every order through a middleman pays the middleman first, and that percentage comes out of your flowers. You pay full price and get fewer flowers for it.
That’s why more people are calling their florist directly. You get more for your money, and it’s just as convenient.
Watch for fake “local” shops
Some businesses create shop names, phone numbers and listings that look local but aren’t. In Barrington, Illinois, a search shows at least 33 businesses from somewhere else. One directory lists ten “local” florists. Barrington has two.
It’s happening in town after town, across the United States and around the world. Regulators and florist associations call it deceptive order gathering, and it has ended up in court.
How to spot a real local florist:
- A real street address in the town, that you can find on a map
- A local phone number that’s answered by the shop itself
- Staff who can tell you what’s fresh this week
Or skip the guessing and use the I Speak Flowers list below.
Is a real florist worth a few dollars more?
Sometimes a real florist costs five or ten dollars more. But saving money can be an illusion. The person you sent flowers to finds out a few days later, when they droop and fade.
How long flowers last depends on care, and that’s what a flower shop does all day: cold coolers, clean water, fresh deliveries.
- Cold matters. In North Carolina State University research, roses stored at 35°F lasted twice as long as roses stored at 49°F.
- Care matters. University of Florida researchers found vase life doubles when flowers are properly treated and kept in flower food. Flower food alone adds two to three days.
- Many fresh flowers, cared for right, can last up to two weeks. Carnations, chrysanthemums and orchids commonly last two weeks or more. Roses typically last 7 to 10 days, and tulips 3 to 7.
People value this. In a survey of 739 flower buyers, people said they’d pay about 17% more for flowers that last 11 to 14 days than for flowers that last 5 to 7.
When the extra is spent, it’s noticed and appreciated, every day the flowers last. That’s not paying more. That’s getting more.
What do flowers cost?
A florist price guide is in the works. The World Cut Flower Commission is building it with florists, using prices submitted by real shops. The project is new, and the guide will be published once enough florists have contributed and it has been reviewed. Until then, here’s what shapes the price of flowers.
Location, location, location. A flower shop’s costs follow where it is. In 2024, everyday prices in California were about 27% higher than in Arkansas, and rent was nearly three times as high. That difference shows up in the price of everything, from groceries to flowers.
Season and availability. Flowers are a fresh crop, and like any crop, prices go up and down. Peonies are a good example. They bloom in spring and early summer in the Northern Hemisphere, from California and Texas in March to Alaska from late June into August, and in the Southern Hemisphere, in places like Chile, from October to December. In between, there are months with few or none. Growers and wholesalers work hard to stretch the season, but the farther a flower travels, the more it costs.
Holidays. Around Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, demand rises around the world at the same time, and prices follow.
The flowers and the work. The number of stems, the type of flower, the container, the design time and delivery all add up.
Tip: give your florist a budget, not just a picture. They’ll make the most of every dollar with what’s freshest that week.
Make them last at home
- Recut the stems and change the water every two or three days.
- Use the flower food your florist gives you.
- Keep flowers away from heat, direct sun and ripening fruit.
- Remove spent blooms so they don’t shorten the life of the rest.
Get to know your florist
Get to know someone at your flower shop. When it’s important, you want the name of the person responsible for your order, and someone to call if anything goes wrong. The more they know you, the better they know what you’ll love, and the people you send flowers to. That’s how you win, every time.
AI can’t know you like that. That human connection is something we all need to protect.
Find a real florist
The World Cut Flower Commission is building I Speak Flowers: a list of real florists at their real addresses. Nobody pays to be on the list, and no middleman sits in the middle.
Questions people ask
How do I order flowers online?
Use AI or a website to decide what you want: the occasion, colors, style and budget. Then call a real local florist directly, near the person receiving the flowers. You’ll get fresher flowers and more for your money than ordering through a middleman.
Can I use AI to order flowers?
Yes. AI is useful for ideas, card messages and reorders. For an important occasion, call a real florist. They know what’s fresh, what’s appropriate, and what will last.
Why call a florist directly instead of a flower website?
Many flower websites are middlemen. They take a percentage of your order before it reaches a florist, so less of your money goes into the flowers.
How can I tell if a florist is really local?
Look for a real street address in that town and a phone answered by the shop itself. Be careful of listings with a local-sounding name but no address. The I Speak Flowers list shows real florists at their real addresses.
How long should fresh flowers last?
It depends on the flower and the care. Carnations, chrysanthemums and orchids often last two weeks or more. Roses usually last 7 to 10 days. Cold storage and flower food can double vase life.
Is a real florist more expensive?
Sometimes a few dollars more. But flowers cared for by a florist often last much longer, so you get more for what you spend.
What should I say when I call a florist?
Who the flowers are for, the occasion, when and where to deliver, your budget, colors, any favorite flowers, the shape and style you like, and the card message. That’s all they need.
What are the basic flower arrangement shapes?
Round, oval, triangular, horizontal (long and low), vertical (tall), crescent, L-shape, Hogarth (S-curve) and fan. Styles range from classic and traditional to modern and contemporary, garden and tropical.
How much do flowers from a florist cost?
It depends on location, season, the flowers and the design. Flowers cost more in high-cost areas, out of season, and around holidays. Ask your florist what your budget will buy that week. A florist price guide, built with prices submitted by florists, is in the works.
Is I Speak Flowers a wire service?
No. I Speak Flowers doesn’t take orders or a percentage. It lists real florists so you can call them directly.
Sources
- Cheng, M. et al. (2026). Sycophancy in AI chatbots. Science, reported by the Associated Press, March 26, 2026.
- Nell, T.A. & Leonard, R.T., University of Florida. Improving the Vase Life of Cut Flowers. NC State HortScans.
- The Three C’s of Flower Care (cooling, rose vase life at 35°F vs 49°F). NC State HortScans.
- University of Florida IFAS News (2006). “UF researchers develop ways to keep the bloom on the rose.”
- Floralife. “Vase Life: Who Has the Edge?” (vase life by flower type).
- Yue, C., Rihn, A., Hall, C. & Behe, B. (2011). Longevity Guarantees. American Floral Endowment Special Research Report #704 (739 flower buyers surveyed).
- Society of American Florists. Deceptive Order Gatherer Resource Center (2026).
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026). Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (California 110.7, Arkansas 86.9; rents California 154.3, West Virginia 54.2).
- Thursd. “When are peonies in season?” (peony seasons by region).
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. “Find out where your flowers are really coming from.”