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How to order flowers online for Valentine’s Day
Urban Stems/Lula’s Garden/The Million Roses
The countdown to Valentine’s Day 2024 has begun. It’s time to start that Valentine’s Day flower order for your wife, partner, mom, sister or loved one. Though the holiday is still more than two weeks away, fresh flower delivery spots can fill up quick, and the best bouquets may be unavailable if you wait until the last minute.
This year, ordering flowers online has never been easier thanks to big-box retailers like Amazon (yes, Amazon!) that deliver stylish flowers straight to her home. And there are specialty online flower sites that offer beautiful, high-quality arrangements you won’t be able to find locally. Here’s our roundup of the top flower delivery options in 2024.
Best online flower stores for Valentine’s Day 2024
With stylish offerings that elevate your flower order past roses, hydrangeas and daisies, we’re making it easy to dazzle her with flowers this Valentine’s Day.
Best overall online flower delivery service: The Bouqs Co.
The Bouqs
As seen on ABC’s competition reality show “Shark Tank”, The Bouqs Co. promises farm-fresh quality flowers guaranteed to stay fresher longer. Their flowers are responsibly sourced and rooted in kindness — to the planet and to the brand’s partners. Because flowers are sourced directly from the farms in which they grow, there is no middleman. Flowers are in transit for less time, which means they’ll stay in bloom longer before wilting.
The Bouqs promises stylish, modern arrangements with a variety of elegant vase and accompanying gift options. The Bouqs Co. suggests ordering your Valentine’s Day flowers early to guarantee they arrive on time.
What you need to know about The Bouqs Co.:
- Flowers arrive in bud form, so they blossom before her eyes.
- The Bouqs Co. offers free shipping to subscribers. A subscription costs $49.
- A $15 flower delivery charge will apply to most delivery orders for non-subscribers, though delivery charges can vary.
Best flower quality and selection online: UrbanStems
Urban Stems
When it comes to buying flowers online, we like the quality, variety of offerings, freshness and style of UrbanStems. UrbanStems guarantees same-day or next-day delivery to New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. The online flower retailer does offer coast-to-coast delivery to other cities, but can’t guarantee same-day or next-day delivery.
The real star of the show here are the modern arrangements, with extensive offerings and unique designs you won’t find elsewhere. UrbanStems is a terrific choice if you’re looking for a modern and elevated arrangement, or are looking for arrangements with elegant flowers other than roses.
- Order at least 48 hours before your desired delivery date. Delivery costs $10-30 per order.
What you need to know about UrbanStems:
- The brand has a freshness guarantee: If flowers don’t meet expectations, UrbanStems will make it right.
- Flowers can be hand delivered within parts of Manhattan, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. (Flowers that are not hand delivered will be packaged, shipped and delivered using a reputable shipper.)
Best eternal Valentine’s Day flowers: The Million Roses
The Million Roses
Elevate Valentine’s Day roses from a temporary gift to one that becomes a statement gift for months and years to come.
Starting as low as $69, The Million Roses creates elegant gift boxes filled with long-lasting roses. The Million Roses flowers go through a special treatment process which allows them to keep their fresh cut appearance for up to three years. The stylish box comes in suede, metallic or other options.
We love the single long-lasting rose in a limited-edition love note box. It’s a clever gift that won’t break the bank.
What you need to know about The Million Roses:
- The brand’s long-lasting roses can be kept for up to three years.
- The Million Roses offer free Valentine’s Day delivery, but order now — delivery slots will fill up.
- These roses require no water, sunlight or special attention.
Best way to save on flower delivery fees: Amazon
Amazon
Amazon really does have it all, including terrific flower arrangements for Valentine’s Day 2024. From gorgeous fresh arrangements delivered in accompanying stylish vases to long-lasting roses arriving in a stylish gift box, it’s possible to meet all your Valentine’s Day flower needs this year by ordering flowers through Amazon.
Why you need to know about ordering flowers on Amazon:
- Get free delivery with your Amazon Prime membership.
- Amazon offers terrific preserved flowers and gift options, but for fresh cut flower arrangements, we suggest ordering through a site like Urban Stems.
Best flower alternative: Valentine’s Day succulent from Lula’s Garden
Lula’s Garden
If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that’s a bit out of the ordinary, consider a Lula’s Garden Valentine’s Day succulent. It makes a great gift for relatives or besties. It also makes a thoughtful choice if your valentine is allergic to flowers.
- Lula’s Garden offers hand delivery in Los Angeles.
- Standard shipping is 2-3 business days while supplies last.
When is Valentine’s Day 2024?
This year, Valentine’s Day falls on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.
What are the most popular flowers on Valentine’s Day?
Americans spent about $26 billion on Valentine’s Day last year with roses being the most popular flower. Last year, the average consumer spent $192.80 on Valentine’s Day with spending including flowers, gifts, date night or an at-home celebration. And while flowers are a hands-down Valentine’s Day favorite, cards and candy are big winners as well.
When is the last day to order flowers for Valentine’s Day?
Mega online flower retailers such as 1-800-FLOWERS offer same-day Valentine’s Day ordering, but you’ll pay an extra delivery charge. Many local flower shops and online flower retailers will deliver your Valentine’s Day order anytime between Feb. 13 and Feb. 15, unless you specifically request a Feb. 14 delivery.
Each flower retailer has different Valentine’s Day delivery deadlines, but in general, the smaller the flower shop, the less flexibility they’ll have to accommodate last-minute orders. Even larger online flower retailers will see delivery spots fill up quick. We suggest placing your Valentine’s Day flower order a week in advance to guarantee you’re not shut out of flower delivery on Valentine’s Day this year.
Can I send flowers before Valentine’s Day?
We think the best day to have your Valentine’s Day flowers delivered is on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. You’ll pay less in delivery charges and will be more likely to get on the flower delivery calendar, even if you’re ordering closer to the deadline. And with winter weather throwing wrenches into everything from NFL games to morning commutes, asking for a Feb. 13 delivery gives your gift extra time to arrive by Valentine’s Day if shipping delays occur.
How to save money on Valentine’s Day flower delivery
The easiest way to save money on Valentine’s Day flower delivery this year is to order your arrangement early. That way, you avoid last-minute surcharges, shipping surcharges or paying higher prices because options are limited. You can also save money by choosing a delivery date other than Feb. 14.
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Suicides among military service members rose in 2023 continuing a gradual rise in suicides among active-duty forces, persisting despite prevention efforts.
The Defense Department’s annual report on suicides in the military released Thursday said suicides among active-duty military rose from 331 in 2022 to 363 in 2023.
“Admittedly yes, that long-term trend is gradually increasing,” Dr. Timothy Hoyt, Deputy Director of the Office of Force Resiliency at the Defense Department told reporters on a call.
The suicide rate has grown from 17 per 100,000 active duty service members in 2011 to 26 in 2023, according to data released in the annual report for 2023, although the rate decreased for one year from 2020-2021.
Active duty service members who died by suicide in 2023 were largely enlisted males under the age of 30, accounting for 61% of suicides. The most common method of suicide was firearms, at 65%, followed by hanging or asphyxiation, at 28%.
Defense officials said the suicide rates were similar to rates across the U.S. population between 2011 and 2022.
“We are not immune to the factors that drive suicide throughout the U.S., and our service members face, in addition to those, a number of unique military challenges,” Hoyt said.
He added recommendations from the Suicide Prevention Response and Independent Review Committee have given a “mechanism by which we can address as many of those potential risks as possible and make investments in those spaces.”
The Pentagon set up the review committee to provide recommendations to reduce suicide deaths in the military. Last year the committee made a series of recommendations, including broadly improving the delivery of mental health care, addressing stigma and other barriers to care and revising suicide prevention training.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who established the review committee mandated by Congress in 2022 said in a statement that the annual report’s findings “urgently demonstrate the need for the Department to redouble its work in the complex fields of suicide prevention and postvention.” Austin said the Defense Department completed 20 of the 83 committee’s recommendations.
The Pentagon expects to spend about $250 million on suicide prevention in fiscal year 2025, the largest amount of funds the Defense Department has ever invested, Hoyt told reporters.
“A lot of the time where we’ve done initiatives during the past two decades, there’s been insufficient investment in making sure that those have staying power, that we’ve got a long-term implementation of those programs,” Hoyt said.
The total number of suicides across the force, including both active duty and reserve, was 523 in 2023 compared to 493 in 2022.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for veterans as well. According to the most recent report from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the suicide rate for 2021 was 33.9 per 100,000, up from 32.6 per 100,000 in 2020.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
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