California Blooms Roses Review

I love roses. There was a rose garden near my college and I would go there when I needed a dose of beauty and calm to take pictures and to literally stop and smell the roses. There’s something about a rose that conveys an immense amount of love and beauty. That’s probably why it’s the favorite go-to-gift of apologetic husbands and boyfriends – it’s the ultimate “I love you, you’re beautiful” compliment. The thing about roses is that not everyone has a rose garden that they can visit to gather a bouquet (a la Andrew Shepherd from The American President – “It turns out I have a rose garden.”) That’s where California Blooms steps in as an affordable website to purchase over 9 different colors of freshly cut roses.

About California Blooms

The Review

It was around 11 in the morning on Wednesday when the thump and the knock on the door announced the arrival of the FedEx guy. Waiting at the door was a large, long brown box with the name “California Blooms” stamped on it and I could hardly contain my giddiness. I knew that inside that box would be some roses, but had no idea what color they would be. When I was asked which color roses I wanted, I was so torn by all of the colors they offered, I couldn’t decide and left it up to fate to see which color I would receive. I pulled the perforated tab to open the box along the side and opened it to find this:

The box contained 24 carefully wrapped green/peach roses lying in some padding. The stems of the roses were secured under the cardboard divider at the end of the box to ensure that the roses weren’t jostled or damaged during delivery. I eagerly pulled out the card to read about my roses where I learned about the farm to doorstep delivery and California Blooms’s eco-friendly growing practices. It also included some special rose care and handling tips and a package of floral preservatives to help keep the roses fresh.

Underneath the paper wrapping, the roses were very long with plenty of leaves still on the stem, which is perfect for allowing you to trim the stems according to the vase you’ll be using. I carefully trimmed off the bottom 2 inches (at an angle of course!), trimmed the leaves, mixed the preservatives and arranged the flowers in a vase I had on hand. Look at how leafy all of the roses are. I love that the color of the blooms is so unique.

One thing that really sets these roses apart was that every single petal was perfect. I’ve received roses before where they looked great from far away, but when you got closer you’d see that there was a droopy blossom here or a big tear there. Each of the 24 rose buds was in mint “just about to bloom” condition. They looked beautiful from far away, kind of close…

and very close.

Two days later these roses are still going strong. They’ve started to open up and their fragrance is a little more noticeable (yet still subtle – which is probably typical of this variety.)

There are a few things that separate California Blooms from other online rose retailers. One is that you know where these roses are coming from (the California Blooms farm.) You also know that your roses were cut less 2 days before you receive them, ensuring that you are getting the freshest rose possible (other than picking one from your yard.)

Finally, you can’t really talk about roses without discussing price. I searched a few other online floral retailers and found California Blooms to be the most affordable, coming in at $39.00 for one dozen roses (all colors) and $59.00 for two dozen roses (all colors.) They also have a $13-$15 shipping and handling fee. Compare that to a couple of other online stores where the starting price for one dozen long stem roses was $59 to $79, not including shipping.

Affordable, fresh, and beautiful, California Blooms has helped bring some extra color into the living room. I can’t help by smile when I see the roses and I definitely stop to smell them.

California Blooms Online

• Visit the California Blooms Website
• “Like” California Blooms on Facebook
• Follow California Blooms on Twitter
• Download the California Blooms iPhone App

Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a  free bouquet of California Blooms roses from the manufacturer or representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.