Mother's Day Hydrangeas
Hydrangea plants are a very popular item every Mother's Day, and we do love the beautiful blooms they produce. Hydrangeas do grow in our area, but they need to be planted near the house or a wall or fence, where they'll be somewhat protected and gather additional warmth through the winter.
The Wall Street Journal's Catalog Critic reviewed hydrangeas ordered via five online sources. Four were delivered mail-order, and the fifth was delivered by a local florist. We've summarized their results below:
| Source |
Size |
Price |
The Bloomery's hydrangea
(click for larger) |
| Jackson & Perkins |
18" tall, three blooms |
$54.95, plus $15.95 shipping |
| Smith & Hawken |
17" tall, three blooms |
$49, plus $16.95 shipping |
| White Flower Farm |
19" tall, three blooms |
$69, plus $13.95 shipping |
| Calyx Flowers |
15" tall, two blooms |
$43.95, plus $16.95 shipping |
| RedEnvelope |
15" tall, 5 blooms |
$45, plus 16.95 shipping |
| Teleflora |
8 blooms (height not given) |
$66.95 total |
| The Bloomery (not reviewed--for comparison only) |
21", four blooms |
$38.99, plus $4.95 delivery |
Surprisingly, the Jackson and Perkins was rated the "Best Overall and Best Value", even though the plant delivered by the local florist was almost $4 less expensive, and was described as "a real beauty, with eight stems in full flower." The plants which arrived via mail order were in 6" pots, and we believe the florist delivered a 10" pot, with probably two plants in it (a a florist standard for that price range).
The bottom line here is that your best value was and still is to call your local florist. In our case, a 6" plant sells for $38.99, plus $4.95 delivery ($6.95 to the way out areas), and has four blooms. Our price includes a woven basket, as did White Flower Farms (the others were delivered in pottery containers, and we have a beautiful selection of those as well). If you're sending a hydrangea to your mother in or around Butler, PA, call us at 724-285-1711 (or 800-729-1711), or order online at http://www.bloomery.com/detail.aspx?ID=708.
And, special note to the Catalog Critic: Throughout the article, you referred to these plants as "flowers". Generally, if it has roots and you need to water it, it's a plant. Flower are what you cut from the plant and arrange in a vase. Not to pick nits, but if you call a shop to order hydrangea flowers, you will get something very different than a hydrangea plant.