Roses are red, but that bouquet may not be so true

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. And, many people will be sending flowers to show someone they care. Sending a bouquet seems sweet and simple, but are you getting what you paid for?

Five of KARE 11's sister stations around the country decided to conduct a test. They each ordered flowers through well-known order companies 1-800-Flowers, FTD, Teleflora and Proflowers.com.

Twenty flower orders, costing at least $50 each, made their way around the country. All the arrangements arrived on the same day, but they looked nothing alike. According to one florist, they didn't add up in cost either.

"You have less than $20 worth of flowers in this arrangement. Not a $50 value at all," says florist Tammy Yow-Russell of Ty Designs in Greensboro, NC, after she examined the bouquet sent to Greensboro from Knoxville.

Then, she looked at the arrangement that arrived from Grand Rapids.

"Again, you have less than $20 in flowers. The only difference in this arrangement versus the first one is, this is a nicer container. This is actually a ceramic or porcelain container," says Yow-Russell.

The bouquet sent from Greensboro to Cleveland didn't look much better. The flowers were wilted and didn't come with a vase.

You don't always need a florist to tell the difference. Several of the bouquets that arrived, looked nothing like the photographs online.

"The main problem is the consumer is not getting their dollar value," says Yow-Russell.

But, that's because when you get flowers from these services, you're dealing with an order taker, not a florist.

Let's say you start with a beautiful arrangement of flowers. First, you'll have to take out several of the major flowers for their delivery fees. Then, you'll need to take out more flowers for their service fees. And if you want it delivered in the morning, you might as well take out a few more flowers. What you're left with is a shell of the original bouquet.

While roses steal the show on Valentine's Day, Yow-Russell has a suggestion.

"What I recommend is to order a beautiful mixed spring arrangement with some roses in it," says Yow-Russell. "You get a much better value."

It is important to note, not all the flowers failed the test. A few bouquets did meet with the approval of the florists involved in this test.

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