Shower Mom with flowers

You've procrastinated enough on your Mother's Day gift and have now resigned yourself to picking up flowers on your way to brunch. From budget friendly to not so budget friendly, follow these tips for delivering festive florals to the mom in your life.

If money is no object and Mom is hipper than most, opt for a floral design studio such as Fiori Floral Design. Centerpiece guru (and owner) Miles Johnson is known for his whimsical take on classic centerpieces and focuses on delivering "a gift of sculptural art rather than a vase full of flowers." Not afraid to throw in fruit or fresh mint, Fiori delivers unique and contemporary floral masterpieces.

And what kind of flowers does a florist send his own mother? Miles saves the best for last and makes the last bouquet of the day for his mom. "I just follow my instincts adding flowers until it is finished. I never know in advance what it is going to look like."

If floral masterpieces aren't in your budget, try these wallet-friendly tips:

1. Pike Place Market: Five bucks gets you ten tulips in the middle of the market. A Northwest mainstay and one of the hardiest flowers around, tulips can last 7-10 days if Mom trims the stems and keeps them in cold water.

Helpful hint: Place a penny in the vase to keep tulips from drooping.

2. Grocery store: Most moms like to have something to remember you by, so forgo cut flowers and purchase a potted orchid at Trader Joe's ($14.99).

Helpful Hint: Remove the cheesy plastic wrap and put in a nice pot before handing off to Mom.

3. Local flower shop: I hate to say it, and I'm sure many people disagree, but there are some flowers that look cheap no matter what you pay for them—carnations, asters and daisies, for example. Instead, opt for more distinctive stems such as gladiolas or snapdragons.

Helpful Hint: Select several flower types in one shade for an elegant bouquet.

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