Prudence Designs   (Photo: Yun Cee Ng)

Bloom Flowers
541 Lexington Ave., nr. 50th St; 212-832-8094
A cooler in the basement houses flowers imported from all over the globe, with Dutch blossoms most prevalent. Ample orchids are on hand, too, for a generous gift that will outlast cut stems.

Castle & Pierpont
29 Prince St., at Elizabeth St.; 212-244-8668
This Nolita flower studio has creations with both style and drama. Tulips, roses, gardenias, and orchids arrive from Europe and Asia weekly.

Prudence Designs
228 W. 18th St., nr. Seventh Ave. ; 212-691-1356
Arturo Quintero and Grayson Handy's floral arrangements blend the classic (roses, orchids, calla lilies) and the elegant-quirky (ranunculus, fiddlehead ferns) in offbeat containers like pitchers, boxes, buckets, and tins.

Root Stock & Quade
471 Myrtle Ave., nr. Washington Ave., Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; 718-832-1888
The shop specializes in on-a-whim floral arrangements and plants from farms in Long Island and New Jersey and international suppliers like Holland. Be sure to check out the Valentine's Day specials.

Zezé Flowers
938 First Ave., nr. 52nd St.; 212-753-7767
A favorite of Bette Midler, Sting, and Sutton Place high society for nearly 30 years, Zezé uses a variety of brilliant-colored flowers to create arrangements.