Hear from Our Customers
When you order birthday flowers, you’re not just buying stems and petals. You’re trying to make someone feel remembered on the one day a year that’s specifically theirs.
That means the bouquet needs to show up when you said it would. It needs to look impressive when they open the door or their coworker walks it over to their desk. And it needs to last longer than the birthday candles.
We’ve been doing this since 1982, so we know what matters. Every arrangement gets built by hand in our Midtown shop at 3 West 51st Street. We source flowers fresh each morning from the wholesale district, which means you’re getting blooms that were cut recently, not sitting in a warehouse for a week. Our drivers know Fort George, the building protocols, the doormen, the timing. If you order by 2 PM on a weekday, we’ll get it there the same day.
No drop-shipping. No third-party handoffs. Just a local florist who understands that when you’re sending happy birthday flowers to someone in Manhattan, the details matter more than the marketing.
Columbia Midtown Florist has been family-run since 1982. That’s over 40 years of birthdays, last-minute orders, and people trusting us to help them show up for someone they care about.
Fort George has changed a lot in that time. The neighborhood’s grown, gotten younger, more diverse. Median home prices jumped 18% in the last year alone as people move up from pricier parts of Manhattan looking for quality of life they can actually afford. We’ve watched families settle in, kids grow up, new restaurants open. And through all of it, birthdays kept happening.
We’re not trying to be the cheapest option. We’re trying to be the one you don’t have to worry about. When you’ve got a full day ahead and you just need someone to handle this one thing right, that’s where we come in.
You can order online or call us directly if you want to talk through options. If you’ve got a specific vision or you’re not sure what works best, a quick conversation usually clears it up. We’ll ask about color preferences, the recipient’s style, and whether there are flowers they love or can’t stand.
Once you place the order, we build your birthday bouquet in our shop. Not a franchise location, not a fulfillment center. Our shop. That’s where the quality control happens.
Then our drivers handle delivery. They’re not gig workers who’ve never been to Fort George before. They know the area. They know which buildings need a call ahead, which doormen prefer a heads-up, how to navigate the streets during lunch rush without turning your 2 PM delivery into a 5 PM apology.
If something’s off, you’ll hear from us before it becomes your problem. If a specific flower isn’t available, we’ll suggest an alternative or call to confirm. If the recipient isn’t home, we’ll coordinate a redelivery or leave it with a neighbor if you approve that. You’re not getting an automated email three hours later telling you nobody answered the door.
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Every birthday flower arrangement we deliver includes fresh-cut blooms sourced that morning, hand-arranged by someone who’s done this for years, not an hourly worker following a laminated instruction sheet. You’ll get a mix that’s balanced, seasonal when possible, and designed to last beyond the weekend.
We deliver in climate-controlled vehicles because temperature swings in Manhattan can wreck flowers faster than you’d think. Your arrangement shows up in the same condition it left our shop, whether it’s 90 degrees in August or 15 degrees in January.
Fort George sits in Upper Manhattan, which means delivery timing depends on traffic, but we build that into our scheduling. We’re not promising 10 AM deliveries and showing up at 4 PM. If you need it there by a certain time for a birthday lunch or an office surprise, tell us when you order. We’ll either confirm we can do it or be honest if the timing’s too tight.
You’ll also get options for customization. Want to add a specific note? Need the arrangement in certain colors because that’s their favorite? Trying to avoid roses because they’re allergic? We can work with that. The more specific you are upfront, the better we can match what you’re picturing.
If you order by 2 PM Monday through Friday, we can get birthday flowers delivered the same day to most Fort George addresses. That cutoff exists because we need time to build the arrangement and get it across town before buildings close up or people leave for the day.
Weekends are tighter. Saturday orders need to be in earlier, and Sunday delivery isn’t available in all areas. If you’re cutting it close, call us instead of ordering online. We’ll tell you straight whether we can make it happen or if next-day is more realistic.
The worst thing we could do is take your order, miss the delivery window, and leave you scrambling. If it’s not going to work, you’ll know before you pay.
Our birthday bouquets start around $54 for a smaller arrangement. That’s not grocery store flowers, but it’s also not a statement piece. It’s a solid choice if you want something nice without going overboard.
Mid-range arrangements run $75 to $100. That’s where most people land when they want the flowers to feel significant but not like they’re proposing. You’ll get more variety, better blooms, and a fuller look.
If you want something that makes an impression, premium arrangements go up from there. Bigger, more dramatic, with high-end flowers like peonies or garden roses depending on season. Those are for milestone birthdays or when you’re really trying to make a statement.
The difference isn’t just size. It’s bloom quality, variety, and how long the arrangement holds up. Cheaper flowers fade faster. You’ll see the difference by day three.
We deliver birthday roses, absolutely. If someone loves roses and you want to send them a dozen, we’ll make that happen. You can choose colors, add greenery, keep it classic or dress it up.
That said, a lot of people default to roses because they think that’s what you’re supposed to send, not because it’s actually the best choice. If the person you’re sending to has a favorite flower, or if they’re more into wildflower vibes than formal arrangements, tell us. We’ll build something that fits them better.
Mixed arrangements also tend to last longer because you’re not relying on one type of flower. If the roses start fading on day four, you’ve still got other blooms holding up the arrangement. It’s a practical thing, not just aesthetic.
If nobody’s home, our driver will try to reach the recipient by phone if you provided a number. If that doesn’t work, they’ll call you to figure out next steps.
We can leave the flowers with a doorman or building staff if that’s an option and you’re comfortable with it. A lot of Fort George buildings have someone at the desk, so that’s usually the easiest backup plan. If it’s a private residence with no secure spot to leave them, we’ll either attempt redelivery later that day or schedule it for the next day.
We don’t just drop flowers on a doorstep in Manhattan and hope for the best. Too much can go wrong. If the delivery doesn’t go smoothly, we’ll work it out with you directly instead of sending an automated notification and calling it done.
You can absolutely request a custom birthday bouquet. If you’ve got a specific vision, a color scheme, or you know the person’s taste well enough to want something built just for them, call us and talk it through.
Custom work takes more time, so if you need it same-day, your options narrow. But if you’re ordering a day or two ahead, we’ve got flexibility. We’ll ask questions about style, budget, any flowers they love or hate, and whether this is for their home or an office or a restaurant where they’re celebrating.
The website arrangements exist because most people want something good without having to art-direct it. But if you want to be more involved, we’re set up for that. Just know that custom doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes the arrangements we’ve designed over 40 years of doing this are exactly what works. We’ll be honest if we think you’re overcomplicating it.
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