Caruso Florist
1717 M St. NW. carusoflorist.net.
When we arrived at this family-owned, century-old downtown shop and asked for a romantic bouquet to go, the florist made a beeline for the flower fridge and selected a classic collection of red roses, carnations and daisies, asking us our thoughts before adding a handful of roses to meet our budget. Though tax took it over our limit — the total was $90 — it was by far the largest arrangement we purchased. In fact, it was too large to cart home on the bus, so it’s been standing guard over the Features section at The Post. Caruso is an accessible option for nearby office workers, and custom bouquets are available, though they take more time and may require you to call in advance. Also worth noting: Of the five bouquets we bought, this was the only one that came with a vase. — Zoe Glasser
Surroundings Capitol Hill Garden Market
1023 East Capitol St. SE. (Entrance on 11th Street.) surroundings.bz.
Surroundings boasts one of the most attractive settings of any flower shop in D.C.: Its charming patio, full of plants situated around a fountain, looks across 11th Street SE at the expanse of Lincoln Park. And while known in the neighborhood for its landscaping prowess, Surroundings also sells a variety of plants, from succulents to bouquets of roses, inside its small, homey store. The helpful floral designer was quick to ask about the occasion, the recipient’s preferred colors and whether there were any kinds of flowers we didn’t want included. We threw a bit of a curveball when we said we wanted something romantic and colorful, without red or pink roses — a choice he actually commended us for. The result was a creative and complementary mix of sunflowers, puffy hydrangeas, yellow roses and orange-and-yellow tulips, and it was fun (for a novice) to watch the florist draw inspiration from the plants in buckets around the shop, even stopping to rewrap halfway through. Even better: The total for this crowd-pleasing, twine-tied bouquet was $67.68, including tax. — Fritz Hahn
BethMichaels Floral & Events Design
8375 First Ave., Silver Spring. bethmichaelevents.com.
Local flower shops are often true mom-and-pop operations, with the skeleton staffs to prove it. So when Ayobami Akindele got held up on a recent morning, that meant her store, BethMichaels Floral & Events in Silver Spring, didn’t open on time. But she was responsive enough to return a call and keep us updated on her timing via text. Once she arrived, we were welcomed into a fragrant wonderland of pastel flowers and sparkling vases. Akindele didn’t blink at our budget and quickly started pulling pale pink roses in response to our “romance” directive. “Because you had to wait,” she added several extra white roses to round out the bouquet, before wrapping and rewrapping the bunch and tying it with a pearl-dotted bow. We walked out with more than a dozen roses, plus accent flowers and a perfect amount of greenery — a total effect that looked far more expensive than its $84.80 price tag. — Ellen McCarthy
Azi Flowers
903 S. Highland St., Arlington. aziflower.com.
The quest to find a flower shop in Arlington proved, more than anything, the limits of online research. One store that appeared in a web search did not exist in real life. Another listed an Arlington address but was actually located in Centreville. A phone call to Azi Flowers confirmed its existence off Columbia Pike and helpfully guided us to the loading dock at the rear of a blue office building, where the outfit operates without a storefront. Most of Azi’s sales are done online. Still, the lack of frills proved beneficial: When told of our $85 budget, the man who greeted us responded, “I’ll do it for $75.” The selection — stored in plastic tubs and a couple of refrigerators — was small but lush. We walked away with a bouquet of eight citrus-colored roses, framed with greenery and brightened by pops of small purple flowers. After tipping — an “option” provided on the handheld credit card machine — the total came to $86.25. — Ellen McCarthy
Allan Woods Flowers
2645 Connecticut Ave. NW. allanwoods.com.
Allan Woods has been a community staple in the Woodley Park neighborhood for nearly five decades. The high-end flower shop is one of few in the area with a storefront, though, as its website proudly notes, much of its business comes from embassies and five-star hotels. The florist at Allan Woods ran down a thorough list of questions: budget, what kind of bouquet we were looking for, color preferences. We were asked when the flowers would be gifted (that afternoon, we said) and were told to store them somewhere cold in the meantime. We gave the florist creative freedom, and were out in under 10 minutes. The Allan Woods bouquet was the skimpiest of the five, with fewer flowers and more filler. But the bouquet was also made to last, with barely-budding clematis complementing the open pink and white roses. And for the store, our $85 arrangement was a relative bargain: Valentine’s Day bouquets on Allan Woods’s site run from $90 blooming azaleas to $525 rose hedges. — Sophia Solano
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
Caruso Florist
Caruso Florist is a family-owned flower shop located at 1717 M St. NW in Washington, D.C. With over a century of experience, this downtown shop is known for its romantic bouquets and classic flower arrangements. The florist at Caruso Florist demonstrated their expertise by quickly selecting a collection of red roses, carnations, and daisies from the flower fridge to create a beautiful bouquet. They also took into consideration the customer's budget and added a handful of roses to meet their needs. Despite the bouquet exceeding the customer's budget at $90, it was the largest arrangement they purchased. The size of the bouquet was so large that it couldn't be transported home on the bus and had to be displayed at The Washington Post. Caruso Florist is a convenient option for nearby office workers, and they also offer custom bouquets, although these may require advanced notice. It's worth noting that out of the five bouquets the reviewer purchased, Caruso Florist was the only one that included a vase with the arrangement.
Surroundings Capitol Hill Garden Market
Surroundings Capitol Hill Garden Market is a flower shop located at 1023 East Capitol St. SE in Washington, D.C. This shop stands out for its picturesque setting, with a charming patio full of plants surrounding a fountain. The shop overlooks Lincoln Park and is known for its landscaping expertise. In addition to plants, Surroundings also sells a variety of flowers, including roses, inside its small and cozy store. The floral designer at Surroundings impressed the reviewer by asking about the occasion, the recipient's preferred colors, and any flowers they didn't want included. The reviewer requested something romantic and colorful without red or pink roses, which the floral designer commended. The result was a creative and complementary mix of sunflowers, hydrangeas, yellow roses, and orange-and-yellow tulips. The florist drew inspiration from the plants in buckets around the shop and even made adjustments halfway through. The bouquet, tied with twine, was priced at $67.68, including tax.
BethMichaels Floral & Events Design
BethMichaels Floral & Events Design is a local flower shop located at 8375 First Ave. in Silver Spring, Maryland. This shop is a true mom-and-pop operation, and the owner, Ayobami Akindele, ensures a personal touch with her responsive communication. Despite a delay in opening, Akindele kept the reviewer updated on her timing via text and welcomed them into a fragrant wonderland upon arrival. The reviewer was impressed by Akindele's willingness to work within their budget and her ability to create a beautiful bouquet. In response to the reviewer's request for a romantic arrangement, Akindele selected pale pink roses and added extra white roses as a gesture for the wait. The bouquet was wrapped and rewrapped with a pearl-dotted bow, and the final result included more than a dozen roses, accent flowers, and greenery. The bouquet looked more expensive than its $84.80 price tag.
Azi Flowers
Azi Flowers is a flower shop located at 903 S. Highland St. in Arlington, Virginia. This shop operates without a traditional storefront and primarily conducts sales online. The reviewer faced some challenges in finding a flower shop in Arlington through online research, but eventually discovered Azi Flowers off Columbia Pike. Upon arrival, they were directed to the loading dock at the rear of a blue office building where Azi Flowers operates. The lack of frills turned out to be beneficial when the reviewer mentioned their $85 budget and the employee offered to do it for $75. While the selection was small, the flowers were lush and stored in plastic tubs and refrigerators. The reviewer left with a bouquet of eight citrus-colored roses, accompanied by greenery and pops of small purple flowers. After tipping, the total price came to $86.25.
Allan Woods Flowers
Allan Woods Flowers is a high-end flower shop located at 2645 Connecticut Ave. NW in Washington, D.C.'s Woodley Park neighborhood. This shop has been a community staple for nearly five decades and is known for its storefront and clientele, which includes embassies and five-star hotels. The florist at Allan Woods asked thorough questions about the customer's budget, the type of bouquet they were looking for, and their color preferences. They also inquired about when the flowers would be gifted and advised the customer to store them somewhere cold in the meantime. The customer gave the florist creative freedom, and the bouquet was completed in under 10 minutes. While it was the skimpiest of the five bouquets, with fewer flowers and more filler, it was made to last. The bouquet featured barely-budding clematis, pink and white roses, and was priced at $85. Compared to the bouquets available on Allan Woods's website, which range from $90 blooming azaleas to $525 rose hedges, the reviewer found the $85 arrangement to be a relative bargain.
