Tip #1: Place your order early. Valentine's Day is second only to Mother's Day as the busiest day for cut-flower sales. Placing your order early will increase the likelihood that you will be able to select the delivery date you want.

Tip #2: Be realistic. More than 70 percent of the cut flowers sold in the US were grown in South America. The logistics for cutting, packing, shipping and delivering your flowers fresh is a delicate orchestration. At peak volumes and/or during extreme weather, it can get pretty wild. More than 95% of the time your loved one will be thrilled with their grower-direct, courier-delivered flowers and flowering plants, but when it's not right, be sure you've selected a vendor that has good customer service and a satisfaction guarantee.

Tip #3: Choose online vendors with a proven track record. To deliver the freshest flowers at the lowest cost, Gifting Flowers offers a pre-shopped mash-up of the top flower vendors. Well oiled floral machines, such as ProFlowers.com and 1-800-Flowers.com guarantee the absolutely freshest flowers available, delivered on-time to the one you love.