This bunch of "100 Blooms of Peruvian Lilies" (actually 25 stems of alstroemeria averaging four blooms per stem) is a signature ProFlowers offering, and in my opinion one of their best. As it happens, I recently reviewed this same bouquet for Amazon, though at that time it was unavailable through them. This rather long-winded summary is meant to highlight the advantages of this deservedly popular purchase, offer some care tips mixed with personal testimony, and hopefully keep you from feeling some of the bitterness evident in older reviews from people who didn't know quite what they were getting -- or didn't know how to care for it. Amazon ordering is easy but it allows the purchaser to bypass the care tips ProFlowers builds into its order process. Here's hoping you won't be disappointed:
-- The condition of these flowers will be no better than their delivery, so if UPS (or whoever) leaves the box outdoors somewhere you can't find it, that's their bad, not ProFlowers'. (You can track the delivery online.)
-- The bouquet comes with a gray hydration sponge but that is a stopgap. Get the flowers out of the box as soon as possible and soak them in cold water, all day or overnight, in the kitchen sink or a clean bucket.
-- Upon arrival, the flowers will be only partially open and look bedraggled. Probably the largest "whine" from prior one-star reviews comes from people who don't understand they were supposed to look that way. How sad! They are just very thirsty. After letting them soak for a good long while, trim the stems with kitchen or floral shears, preferably under cold running water (I use a diagonal cut to expose more area), and put them in the vase with cold water and the powdered plant preserver as indicated on the enclosed card.
-- When you order ProFlowers flowers you are simply buying a certain number of stems of certain kinds, not a pre-arranged bouquet. The Peruvian Lilies are easy to deal with because they are all the same species and you only need to arrange for a good blend of color. (Colors are white, pink, red/purple and yellow -- in this my most recent purchase I didn't get any yellows but I don't mind.) Had I wanted a fuller look I would have taken more pains to vary the heights. I probably spent no more than five minutes leaving the new bunch to soak and then later on, another ten to trim and arrange.
-- Now the fun begins! Within a day the flowers will start to open up and look pretty. In three or four days they will really "pop." This is the main ProFlowers advantage, that they can get the flowers to you faster than any conventional florist or supermarket can.
-- After three or four days, as suggested, it's a good idea to re-trim the stems and put them with fresh cold water and plant preserver in the vase.
-- The clear glass vase that is usually included free with orders works fine. The ProFlowers site itself offers different glass vases at extra cost. Being rather tall, these stems work well with the "Contempo" square vase at about a four-dollar upgrade. I ordered their purple vase at about an eight-dollar uptick not expecting it to be particularly harmonious, but because I wanted something different. In fact, that's the vase that appears in the photo for this review (as of 5-5-12). I should point out that it's much more purple than blue, despite the photos, and you're not likely to get it for free anyway. (Also, while we're on the subject of total costs, be aware of the shipping fee.)
-- In my opinion the Peruvian Lilies are ProFlowers' best deal because they are cheap to begin with, develop so nicely over time, and are long-lasting (with the above care, easily a week). Other types of flowers, particularly tulips, need slightly different care techniques. There are plenty of videos of about two minutes that explain this.
In short, these flowers will not knock your socks off straight out of the box but the joy is watching them develop over time. I have had friends phone me to say, "They're even better than yesterday!" If you know what you're getting they're a good deal. I have ordered from ProFlowers many times over the course of years, more than half my orders for these Peruvian Lilies, and have never been disappointed. Let a hundred flowers bloom!