How long before a holiday should I order flowers that need to be delivered?

Because flowers are a personal and preferred gift for many holidays, florists are often extremely busy during holiday seasons and inventory on certain flowers and plants may be in short supply. Florists may have a cut off time for accepting delivery orders to ensure that all orders will be delivered in a timely manner. Your best bet is to contact the florist one to two weeks before the holiday.

Can a florist guarantee delivery on a holiday?

Yes, if the order is placed in a timely manner. Most florists cannot guarantee an actual time for the delivery on a busy holiday but may be able to give an estimated time. The key is to order early and to have all the delivery information (recipient name, address and phone number) correct to avoid any delays.

Why are flowers more expensive at holidays?

It is a simple issue of supply and demand. People tend to want certain flowers at certain holiday times. This can create a large demand for specific types of flowers. Take Valentine's Day for example. More than 100 million roses are typically sold for Valentine's Day, which falls in the middle of winter. Growers work very hard after their Christmas cuttings to produce a crop for Valentine's Day. One long stem rose means sacrificing many other blooms, extra labor must be hired at every production level, there are higher heating costs and additional transportation and delivery are needed. Each of these factors contributes to the proportionate cost of flowers at Valentine's Day.

Are poinsettias poisonous?

No. The poinsettia is the most widely tested consumer plant on the market today, proving the myth about the popular holiday plant to be false:

• Scientific research from The Ohio State University has proved the poinsettia to be non-toxic to both humans and pets. All parts of the plants were tested, including the leaves and sap.

• According to POISINDEX, the national information center for poison control centers, a child would have to ingest 500-600 leaves in order to exceed the experimental doses that found no toxicity.

• A study by Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University found that out of 22,793 reported poinsettia exposures there was essentially no toxicity significance of any kind. The study used national data collected by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

As with any non-food product, however, the poinsettia is not meant to be eaten and can cause varying degrees of discomfort; therefore, the plant should be kept out of the reach of young children and curious pets.