You have to be careful when you send flowers, because you want to make sure you're sending the right message. There's an ancient, acknowledged "language of flowers," which attributes an emotion, meaning or message to each species of flower, and sometimes even to individual colours of a flower. According to the symbolism, pink carnations stand for a mother's or woman's love, and baby's breath signifies innocence. So of course, pink carnations and white baby's breath remain perfect to celebrate a baby's arrival.

The Web makes it easy to pick a florist and send flowers or a plant without ever leaving your desk. Thoughtfulness has never been so easy. Both Sears and the Bay have floral departments. If you're budget conscious, try the discount florist 24 Hour Flower Power. For either traditional or contemporary arrangements, there's Flowers Canada. To go for the full romantic effect, order in French from Quebec City florist Fleuriste Vert, a charming online version of their store. It even has a handy automated reminder service, which sends you an e-mail to jog your memory about special occasions. For a wide and gorgeous selection of bouquets, plants and baskets, try Canada's Flowers.

Be sure of the power of your flowers

For consumers, one challenge of ordering flowers online is being certain that you're getting the item you ordered, that it's fresh and that you're getting good value. Many florists use the wire services of FTD, Teleflora, Interflora or AFS to send floral orders around the world. These services have high membership standards, so if an online florist is a member, chances are it's a reputable site. Most sites also have colour pictures of the arrangements they offer, so you can see how your selection will look.

Choosing what to send

How do you choose the right flowers for the occasion? And how do you decide between a fresh bouquet or a potted plant, with or without blossoms? Pam de Ruiter, co-owner of Pam's Flower Garden in Kingston, Ontario, says if you know that someone is a "plant person" and likes to grow things, then he or she will appreciate a potted plant, whether green or blossoming. But she recommends fresh cut flowers for just about anyone.

"I think people are getting to be more European in attitude when it comes to flowers," de Ruiter says. "We're becoming more in tune with how much having fresh flowers around gives us a feeling of well-being. It's a real pick-me-up!"

"And a great thing about ordering online is that many florists' web sites, like ours, sell more than flowers. Now you can buy a combo package of fruit, flowers and gourmet food items, or flowers with stuffed animals," explains de Ruiter. "That way people have flowers for right now, as well as something they can keep." Many florists' web sites will also offer advice on how to send for a special occasion or with a specific message.

What's hot, what's not

Although traditional arrangements are still acceptable, trends in the floral industry are changing. Contemporary floral gifts are gaining ground, as Canadians become more knowledgeable about flowers, plants and gardening, and are willing to experiment a little.

Even funerals are changing. People no longer send only the standard, triangular arrangement in a container. Now, they're giving everything from exotic birds of paradise in a vase to mini gardens that can be planted outside later.

For other occasions, just about anything goes, largely because what used to be seasonal is now available all year as growing and shipping methods continue to improve. Calla lilies are in vogue right now. And daisies are making a huge comeback, especially the gerbera, which come in 250 varieties and a vast rainbow of colours. Roses are big again, especially Ecuadorian roses with huge blooms from 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Red roses are always popular, but the hot shades are the new browns, oranges and hot pinks. Snapdragons are perfect for the current trend towards decorating in the English country style.

However, tradition persists during the Christmas season. The red poinsettia is still a favourite. So go ahead, send a gorgeous red poinsettia to someone you care about at Christmas, or be trendy and send one of the new pink, peach, white or marbled varieties. But order early. Whether you're ordering flowers online or by any other method, remember that Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are the busiest times of the year for florists.

Caring for fresh flowers

To help extend the life of your fresh bouquets and arrangements, follow these tips.

• To prevent growth of bacteria, remove all leaves from the stem that would fall below the waterline.
• Arrange fresh-cut flowers in a deep vase filled with lukewarm water and then mix in a floral preservative.
• On the diagonal, cut an inch from the bottom of each stem, while holding it under water to avoid air pockets.
• Change the water every 2 to 3 days and cut a bit off the stems each time.
• Place vases away from heating or cooling vents.

Glossary

Everlastings are plants whose flowers hold their colour and shape when dried.

Flagelliflorous means bearing flowers at the ends of long, pendulous branches.

Quirks

Dr. B. C. Wolverton, a former scientist at NASA, conducted research showing that green and blooming plants are a good cure for indoor air pollution and a great way to fight "sick building syndrome." These clean air plants include dieffenbachia, dracaena, poinsettia and gerbera daisy. For more details, log on to his web site at http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com/