The best online flower delivery services to send freshly cut blooms and live plants

Why you'll love it: You don't have to call 1-800-Flowers anymore to get gorgeous bouquets delivered to your loved ones on the same day you ordered them.

1-800-FLOWERS may sound like a retro throwback, but the venerable flower delivery service is still transporting beautiful flower arrangements to loved ones around the country. The 40-year-old company is family owned and takes pride in delivering beautiful bouquets.

Because it's a larger company, 1-800-Flowers has hundreds of different flower arrangements and you can also get bouquets along with teddy bears or chocolates, among other things. The flowers themselves are beautiful, of course, and you have tons of options.

If you want farm fresh flowers, there's a special selection of bouquets to suit your needs. 1-800-Flowers is also offering a lot of classic roses and succulents. Some arrangements offer same-day delivery, but your choices may be limited.

If you're aiming to send flowers for a special holiday like Mother's Day or Valentine's Day, it's best to order ahead. You can order online or in the company's mobile app.

Pros: Same-day delivery on some arrangements, many choices, mobile app

Cons: Some may sell out, not as eco-friendly as some options

Shop bouquets at 1-800-Flowers for $30 and up

Why you'll love it: Florists' Transworld Delivery sends beautiful flowers anywhere in the US with same-day delivery.

Florists' Transworld Delivery (FTD) has been delivering flowers since 1910, so the company really knows what it's doing. FTD has many different beautiful flower arrangements available, but you can also get succulents, chocolates, and other gifts delivered.

The bouquets are handmade and the flowers are carefully selected at farms before they arrive at the FTD florist's shop. Most of the arrangements come in nice vases, and you can choose how full you want the bouquet to look.

There's even a helpful section for bouquets that cost $50 or less, and you can choose from a selection of potted plants if you prefer to send a living plant instead of freshly cut blooms.

FTD offers same-day delivery of some arrangements and others come from FedEx or UPS. Of course, on big shopping days like Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, it's best to order early so you get the best blooms and service.

Although we haven't tried FTD's flower delivery yet, expert reviewers from Consumer Reports and Reviews.com rate the service highly.

Pros: Long history of quality, lots of flower arrangement options, same-day delivery

Cons: Some may sell out, not as eco-friendly as others

Shop bouquets from FTD for $27 and up

Why you'll love it: UrbanStems delivers gorgeous live plants or flower arrangements across the US, plus, it has subscriptions so you can give flowers all year long.

UrbanStems delivers both unique flower arrangements and live plants across the continental US with next-day delivery Tuesday through Saturday. If you happen to live in NYC or the DC metro area, you can even get same-day delivery.

As always, we recommend ordering ahead of time so your favorite bouquet doesn't go out of stock. UrbanStems lets you schedule deliveries in advance, too, so there's really no excuse.

The company also has subscription plans, so you can send flowers or plants to your loved ones all year long on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.

UrbanStems carefully selects its flowers and plants from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms to ensure that its blooms are sustainably sourced. The farmers and in-house designers work together to craft lovely bouquets in truly unique designs. The vases and pots that house the bouquets or plants are also gorgeous.

During the holidays, you'll find festive wreaths in addition to the more traditional flower arrangements and live plants like succulents, orchids, and more.

We tried it and we loved it. The only downside is the price. Many arrangements are quite expensive.

Pros: Delivers nationwide, lovely bouquets, live plant options, subscription service is a cool idea, Rainforest Alliance Certified flowers, same-day delivery in NYC and DC, next-day delivery Tuesday through Saturday in lower 48 states

Cons: Expensive

Shop UrbanStems bouquets and live plants for $45 to $149

The best chocolate you can buy

There is no better gift than a box of chocolates — especially when it's delivered right to your door.

Although you can pop into any pharmacy and grab a box of Russell Stover or Whitman's chocolates, you're better off shopping around to find delicious gourmet chocolates that you'll actually enjoy.

Not only do chocolates made by master chocolatiers taste better, they're also less expensive and more accessible online than you might think. You don't have to live in New York City or travel to Europe to find delicious gourmet chocolate — all you have to do is read our guide.

We've done the research and the taste testing to find the absolute best chocolates you can buy online.

Here is the best chocolate you can buy online:

• Best Belgian gourmet: Neuhaus Chocolates
• Best French gourmet: Michel Cluizel Chocolates
• Best French high-end: La Maison du Chocolat
• Best exotic gourmet: Vosges Haut-Chocolat
• Best gift set: Max Brenner Chocolate Desire Gift Set
• Best gourmet bar: K+M
• Best berries: Shari's Berries
• Best affordable Swiss: Lindt Chocolates
• Best Mexican chocolate: Taza
• Best affordable Belgian: Godiva Chocolates
• Best affordable bars: Green & Black's
• Best over-the-top gourmet gift box: Jacques Torres