Flowers By Bernadette

A small neighborhood flower shop in Canarsie, run by the woman whose name is on the sign. Flowers By Bernadette has no website and no online cart: you either walk in and pick what you want out of the bucket, or you call. In a part of Brooklyn where errands are done by car, that plus its own parking lot is the whole convenience argument.

What people come here for

This is a shop for the everyday list rather than for a staged event: a birthday, an anniversary, flowers for someone recovering, a thank-you, or the bouquet bought on the way to a visit. Bernadette puts the arrangement together with you at the counter — you say what the occasion is and roughly what you had in mind, and it gets built in front of you instead of matched to a catalog photo.

Delivery and same-day orders

Local delivery is offered, same-day included, but with no website there is no order form and no published cut-off: call, give the address and name the hour it has to arrive. If you are in eastern Brooklyn, collecting it yourself is usually faster, and there is a lot to park in while you do.

What stands out

• The owner is behind the counter. Decisions are made on the spot rather than relayed.
• Built while you watch. Arrangements are assembled to your description at the counter.
• Its own parking lot. Unremarkable anywhere else, a real argument in Brooklyn.
• Phone and walk-in only. No online ordering at all — a shop for people nearby, not for sending flowers from another city.
• Everyday range, kept simple. Roses, lilies, tulips, sunflowers, irises and seasonal cut stems.

Where the flowers come from

The shop publishes nothing about its buying, and with no website there is nothing to check — judge it the way the regulars do, by what is standing in the buckets on the day you walk in.

The shop, the service and what else is sold

It is a compact retail florist: cut flowers, ready bouquets and made-to-order arrangements, cards accepted at the counter. The selection is what a small shop can genuinely keep fresh rather than an inventory list, and for anything larger or more specific it is worth asking by phone a day ahead.

When to come and how to get there

The shop sits in Canarsie, in the low-rise east of the borough, away from the subway lines that serve brownstone Brooklyn — bus and car territory. Come earlier in the week for the widest choice, and treat February and early May as booked-out weeks everywhere in this trade, this shop included.

Questions and answers

Can I order online?

No. There is no website and no online ordering — walk-in or phone.

Do they deliver, and can it be today?

Local same-day delivery is offered, but with no published cut-off you need to call and confirm the time before counting on it.

Can I have something made to order?

Yes — describe the occasion and what you have in mind, and it is put together at the counter.

Is there parking?

Yes, the shop has its own lot, which is why people here use it for a quick stop.

What flowers are usually in stock?

The everyday range — roses, lilies, tulips, sunflowers, irises and whatever the season brings. For something specific, call ahead.

How far ahead should I order for a busy date?

A few days for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Small shops sell the best stems first, and a call the day before is the difference between a choice and leftovers.

Opening hours