With a passion for flower gardens, you may find that the selection of bulbs, seeds, and flowering bushes available locally is limited. If you have a specific vision for your flower garden that includes certain flowers, substitution may not be an option. If you can’t find the flowers you want locally, ordering them online may be necessary.
The internet truly offers access to almost anything. Local stores tend to stock only products that sell well in their area. While you might get lucky and find a local provider who will special order what you need, the price is often higher than what you’d pay by ordering it online yourself.
However, there are some precautions to keep in mind when ordering flowers online. The internet is a prime medium for fraudulent activities. Still, with the right knowledge, it’s a great place to order flowers for your garden. Here are some things you should remember when shopping online:
Avoid Spam Emails
If you receive an email from a company you’ve never dealt with before, ignore it. “Spam” refers to unsolicited commercial advertisements sent by email. Fraudulent companies often use this method to lure in victims they can exploit.
Browse for Well-Known Floral Companies
As you search for flower suppliers online, you may come across familiar names. It’s often safer to order from a well-known company that also sells online. Many distributors also make catalogs, like the ones you receive by mail, available on their websites.
Check Out the Company
Before placing your order, ensure the company is legitimate and has a good reputation. One way to do this is by joining an online gardening forum. These forums are designed for people with similar interests to share experiences. You can ask members if they’ve dealt with the company and what their experience was. Another option is to search for the company name on the internet, where you can find discussions, recommendations, and complaints.
Some online businesses are members of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and display a BBBOnline seal on their site. A BBB report will be available, confirming their reliability. VeriSign membership is another good sign, ensuring the safety of online transactions.
Never order flowers online from a company that doesn’t list contact information on their site. If a phone number is provided, it’s a good idea to call and verify that customer service representatives are available to assist you if any issues arise with your order.
Check for Security
One of the biggest concerns when ordering flowers online is the risk of your personal and financial information being intercepted during transmission. You can avoid this risk by ensuring the website uses secure pages for entering sensitive information, such as your personal details and credit card data. A secure site will have an address beginning with “https” instead of the standard “http.” This indicates that the page is protected by an SSL certificate, meaning your transaction cannot be intercepted by third parties during transmission.
If the company you’re considering doesn’t offer a secure site for online transactions, do not place your order online. Instead, consider ordering by phone, mail, or fax to protect your financial security.
The internet is a fantastic resource for overcoming local barriers when planting a flower garden, offering an endless variety of flowers. However, it’s essential to be cautious when ordering online. By taking the proper precautions, you can shop confidently for the flowers you desire. You don’t have to settle when it’s difficult to find flowers for your flower garden—you can find exactly what you’re looking for online.
The variety of flowers is at your fingertips, and with a little time spent on the internet, your flower garden can become exactly what you envision. Buying flowers online is the solution for obtaining hard-to-find varieties.
