NBC's Today Show: Jean Chatzky on buying flowers

In a segment from last Thursday's NBC Today Show, Money Magazine's Jean Chatzky offered consumer tips and advice about getting the best value on a variety of products:

"We've all heard the saying “You get what you pay for,” but it's not always so black and white. So how do you know when a cheaper version of a product is a good buy or when it would be better in the long run to pay top dollar?"

When it came to fresh flowers, Chatsky advised viewers (and Money Magazine readers in the September issue) to spend their dollars at a local professional florist and eschew the supermarket.

“Grocery stores and florists don't generally sell the same quality of flowers, and they don't handle them the same way,” says Amy Stewart, author of “Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers.” Because plants are their main source of revenue, florists are more likely to keep their inventory at the right temperature (near-freezing is best), frequently change the water and periodically recut stems, says Stewart. All these steps keep the blooms alive longer. Be especially wary of supermarket flowers kept too close to produce: The fruit gives off ethylene, which wilts plants.

I give her extra bonus points for interviewing Amy Stewart for her story, too. We had the opportunity to hear Amy speak earlier this year and can vouch that she has a passion for flower quality.

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