The Pros and Cons of Using Local Flower Shops vs. Online Delivery Services

When buying flowers—whether for a milestone, a moment of loss, or just to soothe your spirit—you’re faced with two choices: using a local flower shop or ordering through a national online delivery platform. Both have their advantages, but the best choice comes down to your intention, timing, and values.

At Earth Garden Flower Shop, we bridge both worlds. We offer deeply personal, handcrafted floral arrangements with the convenience of curated digital shopping, plus same-day local delivery, seasonal gifting collections, and emotional wellness experiences.

Let’s break it down.

🌸 What Counts as a Local Flower Shop?

Local flower shops, like ours, design and deliver floral arrangements directly from their own studio. You can often visit in person—or order online and still receive the intentional touch of a small team that knows your name.

💐 Shop our Best-Selling Local Bouquets

🕯️ Explore our Self-Care Add-Ons

📦 What Counts as an Online Flower Delivery Service?

These are often large-scale companies (like 1-800-Flowers) that fulfill orders via third-party shops or warehouses. While they offer convenience, the results can feel transactional.

At Earth Garden, we offer nationwide delivery on select collections—but with our own team behind every petal. Think of it as local service with a national reach.

🚚 Discover our Nationwide Ship-Ready Spa Gifts

🌿 Pros of Using Local Flower Shops

1. Personalized, Intentional Design

Our founder-led floral house is rooted in soulful storytelling. Every arrangement is more than pretty—it’s peaceful. Whether you’re gifting a grief & loss bouquet or ordering your monthly Circle Membership delivery, local florists like us make your purchase feel sacred.

2. Immediate Availability

Need something today? You can walk in or schedule a same-day hand delivery from our shop. No waiting, no guessing.

3. Supports the Community

We’re a luxury flower shop—but we’re also a grief support partner, a wellness advocate, and an artful storyteller in our city. Every bouquet you purchase supports our mission of “Loving People Well.”

✨ Read about our Hotel & Community Partnerships

🚫 Cons of Using Local Flower Shops

1. Limited Variety (Sometimes)

While local shops may not always carry rare tropical stems, we’re changing that. Our Seasonal Studio Exclusives rotate weekly, and we source rare blooms for high-touch events and VIP members.

2. Higher Prices

Yes, handcrafted costs more—but you're getting custom design, local delivery, handwritten notes, and a free complementary self-care gift in every order.

3. Requires More Effort.

Online ordering is fast, but walking into a shop takes time. That’s why we’ve made browsing easy via our Peaceful Gift Finder Quiz—so you can still experience our care from the comfort of your home.

✅ Pros of Online Flower Delivery Services

1. Wide Variety

Need rare orchids shipped to Seattle? Online services have the scale to source almost anything. But don’t miss our Winter Spa Collection and Seasonal Designer’s Choice arrangements—thoughtfully curated for meaningful gifting.

2. Click-and-Go Ordering

Ordering online saves time. But so does using our Gifting Concierge—a service where we build your gift for you based on your occasion, preferences, and price point.

3. Occasional Discounts

Big box platforms may offer discounts, but they lack the intimacy and intention of our value-packed bundles.

Try our:

• 💖 Grief Support Gift Box + Flowers

• 🎁 Christmas Spa + Floral Pairings

⚠️ Cons of Online Delivery Services

1. Quality Can Be Inconsistent

We've all seen those viral flower fails. At Earth Garden, we control every stem that leaves our shop. Want peace of mind? Choose our Becoming Whole Collection—designed for emotional healing and always handled in-house.

2. No Personal Touch

Automated messages and mass-printed cards aren’t our style. Every order from us includes a handwritten card, a free self-care item, and often a QR code to a special message from our founder.

3. Delivery Delays

Global shipping isn’t always reliable. That’s why we personally hand-deliver every arrangement within our region—and only offer ship-ready items we can pack, track, and protect.

🧭 Which Should You Choose?

Your Priority	Your Best Option
Deep Meaning + Custom Design	Local Flower Shop
Speed + Convenience	Online Delivery
Monthly Gifting or Memberships	The Circle Membership
Self-Care Gifts with Flowers	Floral Spa Bundles
Grief, Loss, or Emotional Support	Grief Collection

✨ Our Founder’s Vision: Both Worlds, Better Together

Our goal isn’t to bash online services or glorify old-school flower shops—it’s to elevate how flowers make people feel. We believe your purchase should nurture someone’s nervous system, mark a meaningful moment, or remind you of your own worth.

So whether you're exploring our CEO Lifestyle Series or simply ordering blooms "just because," remember: you don’t have to compromise between ease and emotion.

We offer custom online ordering, in-person floral consultations, and carefully curated floral experiences for gifting, grief, holidays, hospitality, and monthly self-care.

🌺 Keep Exploring

• 💐 Shop All Floral Arrangements

• 🕯️ Add a Self-Care Ritual Gift

• ✍🏾 Write a Letter with Your Gift

• 📹 Watch the “Becoming Whole” Series

• 💌 Join Floral Edit Newsletter for peaceful habits and reminders

Coming Next:

Stay tuned for our next blog post:

👉 How to Choose a Local Florist You’ll Actually Love

And if you're feeling overwhelmed? Try our Peaceful Gifting Quiz or contact our team for a free 15-minute floral gifting consult.

Let’s bring joy and presence back to gifting. 🌸

Published Sep 20, 2023 | updated in 2025