We’re coming to the end of week 6 of quarantine here in Maryland and, like elsewhere, so much about our daily life has changed. One of the biggest changes for me (and many others) is the way we shop.

My philosophy has essentially been “stay out of the way.” So I’ve been getting groceries delivered, mainly through Instacart, Shipt and Hungry Harvest with infrequent trips to the store to scavenge for things that are hard to order online (like toilet paper and paper towels).

Grocery delivery has been working great for me in P.G. County, but one thing that I haven’t done much of is buy flowers. I’ve written about my love for the floral department at Safeway, but selecting flowers for your home is so deeply rooted in personal preference. And, to be honest, if I’m having someone go to the store for me, I don’t want to waste their time picking out my flowers.

But I have missed the light that flowers bring to my home.

So with Jason and I celebrating our seventh anniversary this month, I thought it a nice occasion to look into having some flowers delivered. I started to check around on floral company websites to see who was still open or delivering. One that I checked out was Fifty Flowers, my go-to for DIY wedding flowers. I was excited to see that in addition to the bulk flowers that is the hallmark of their wedding business, they’ve also started offering a monthly floral subscription option. Better still, they’ve started a “Save the Growers” campaign focused on supporting the many flower growers around the world whose farms and businesses hang in the balance because of the many wedding cancellations that have been pouring in due to COVID-19.

As part of the Save the Growers collection, they’re offering flowers from different flower growing regions in North, Central and South America. There’s an amazing selection to choose from … and it seems there’s something for every flower lover. I knew this would be my solution.

I ordered the Save the Columbian Flower Grower Bouquet, a lovely assortment of peach-colored roses, yellow spray roses, orange and pink alstromeria, white hydrangeas and these interesting blue thistle flowers that provided nice texture, height and visual interest.

The bouquet was about $45 (free shipping). While that’s about three times more than what I usually spend on flowers from the grocery store, the bouquet was HUGE and I was able to split it into three bouquets – a big one for the kitchen island and two smaller bouquets, one of which has brightened my new “office,” a.k.a. my dining room table. They also lasted for the better part of three weeks … even the hydrangeas!

We’re fortunate to both still have our jobs and are looking for ways to support charities and members of our community in need. But at times like this, we also realize how global our economy is and the ripple effects that the pandemic is having on people and small businesses all over the world. I’m super happy with both this purchase and to be able to give back in some way to an industry that brings me so much joy. Not to mention that ordering anniversary flowers from the same place where we got our wedding flowers felt like things were coming full circle.

• 

• 

• 

• 

I definitely plan to shop this collection again for Mother’s Day. I hope you give it a look and find something that will brighten your home – and your mood – too!

Stay healthy!