Exhibit 1.1

                                                               Hale and Dorr LLP
                                                                  Draft 07/13/99

                             1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC.

                 CLASS A COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.01 PER SHARE


                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

                             ----------------------



                                                             _____________, 1999

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
Wit Capital Corporation
   As representatives of the several Underwriters
     named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell
to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") an aggregate
of 6,000,000 shares (the "Firm Shares") and, at the election of the
Underwriters, the stockholder of the Company named in Schedule II hereto (the
"Selling Stockholder") and the Company propose, subject to the terms and
conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters up to 900,000 additional
shares (the "Optional Shares") of Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
("Stock") of the Company, as set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder's name
and the Company on Schedule II hereto (the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares
that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being
collectively called the "Shares").

         1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of
         the Underwriters that:

                  (i) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-78985)
                  and all pre-effective amendments thereto (the "Initial
                  Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has been
                  filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
                  "Commission"); the Initial Registration Statement and any
                  post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore
                  delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits thereto, to you for
                  each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective
                  by the Commission in such form; other than a registration
                  statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a
                  "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"),



                  filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of
                  1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became effective upon
                  filing, no other document with respect to the Initial
                  Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the
                  Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of
                  the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective
                  amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,
                  if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has
                  been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any
                  preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration
                  Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a)
                  of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act
                  is hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus"; the various
                  parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule
                  462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits
                  thereto and including the information contained in the form of
                  final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                  424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof
                  and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of
                  the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared
                  effective, each as amended at the time such part of the
                  Initial Registration Statement became effective or such part
                  of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or
                  hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively
                  called the "Registration Statement"; and such final
                  prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)
                  under the Act, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus;"

                  (ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any
                  Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and
                  each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof,
                  conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the
                  Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
                  thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a
                  material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
                  stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
                  the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
                  misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this representation and
                  warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made
                  in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
                  in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through a
                  Representative expressly for use therein or by a Selling
                  Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation of Items 7
                  and 11(m) of Form S-1;

                  (iii) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus
                  and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration
                  Statement or the Prospectus will conform, in all material
                  respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and
                  regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will
                  not, as of the applicable effective date as to the
                  Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the
                  applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment
                  or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a
                  material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
                  stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
                  misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this representation and
                  warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made
                  in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
                  in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through a
                  Representative expressly for use therein or by a Selling
                  Stockholder expressly for use in preparation of the answers
                  therein to Items 7 and 11(m) of Form S-1;



                  (iv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
                  sustained since the date of the latest audited financial
                  statements included in the Prospectus any material loss or
                  interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or
                  other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from
                  any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or
                  decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
                  Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which
                  information is given in the Registration Statement and the
                  Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock
                  (other than pursuant to the exercise of options disclosed in
                  the Prospectus) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its
                  subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any
                  development involving a prospective material adverse change,
                  in or affecting the general affairs, management, current or
                  future consolidated financial position, business,
                  stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company
                  and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole ("Material Adverse
                  Effect"), otherwise than, in each case, as set forth or
                  contemplated in the Prospectus;

                  (v) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable
                  title in fee simple to all real property and good and
                  marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in
                  each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and
                  defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or such
                  as would not be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse
                  Effect and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to
                  be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries;
                  and any real property and buildings held under lease by the
                  Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid,
                  subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are
                  not material and do not interfere with the use made and
                  proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the
                  Company and its subsidiaries;

                  (vi) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
                  existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
                  the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and
                  other) to own its properties and conduct its business as
                  described in the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a
                  foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in
                  good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in
                  which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so
                  as to require such qualification, except where failure to be
                  so qualified would not be reasonably likely to have a Material
                  Adverse Effect or result in any material loss or interference
                  with the Company's business or operations; and each subsidiary
                  of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
                  existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
                  its jurisdiction of incorporation;

                  (vii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
                  forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of
                  capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly
                  authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and
                  conform to the description of the Stock or the Class B Common
                  Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company ("Class B
                  Stock"), as the case may be contained in the Prospectus; all
                  of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of
                  the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued,
                  are fully paid and non-assessable and (except as set forth in
                  the Prospectus) are owned directly or



                  indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens,
                  encumbrances, equities or claims, except that the Company only
                  owns 88% of Plow & Hearth, Inc., ___% of Floral Works, Inc.,
                  ___% of Plow & Hearth, L.P. and ___% of Gerber Gardens, and
                  and are the only "significant subsidiaries" of the Company
                  within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the
                  Securities Act (the "Material Subsidiaries");

                  (viii) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the
                  Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized
                  and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as
                  provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully
                  paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description of
                  the Stock contained in the Prospectus;

                  (ix) The issue and sale of the Shares by the Company hereunder
                  and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions
                  of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
                  herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a
                  breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
                  constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of
                  trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to
                  which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
                  which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to
                  which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of
                  its subsidiaries is subject, other than breaches or defaults
                  that are not individually or in the aggregate reasonably
                  likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action
                  result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate
                  of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company which are in effect
                  on the date hereof or which will be in effect at the Closing
                  or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court
                  or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
                  Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties,
                  which violation of such statute, order, rule or regulation
                  would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect;
                  and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration
                  or qualification of or with any such court or governmental
                  agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the
                  Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions
                  contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under
                  the Act of the Shares and such consents, approvals,
                  authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be
                  required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection
                  with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the
                  Underwriters and the International Underwriters, or those
                  consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or
                  qualifications which are not reasonably likely to have a
                  Material Adverse Effect;

                  (x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in
                  violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws which
                  are in effect on the date hereof or which will be in effect at
                  the Closing, or (ii) in default in the performance or
                  observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or
                  condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
                  loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to
                  which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties
                  may be bound, which, with respect to this subsection (ii) is
                  not reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect;



                  (xi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
                  caption "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they
                  purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock or
                  the Class B Stock, and under the caption "Underwriting",
                  insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws
                  and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and
                  fair;

                  (xii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no
                  legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company
                  or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property
                  of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject
                  which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
                  subsidiaries, would be reasonably likely to have a Material
                  Adverse Effect; and, to the Company's knowledge, no such
                  proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental
                  authorities or threatened by others;

                  (xiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the
                  offering and sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment
                  company", as such term is defined in the Investment Company
                  Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");

                  (xiv) Ernst & Young LLP, which have certified certain
                  financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, and
                  KPMG LLP, which has certified certain financial statements of
                  The Plow and Hearth, Inc., are each independent public
                  accountants as required by the Act and the rules and
                  regulations of the Commission thereunder; and

                  (xv) The Company is in the process of reviewing its operations
                  and that of its subsidiaries and any third parties with which
                  the Company or any of its subsidiaries has a material
                  relationship to evaluate the extent to which the business or
                  operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries will be
                  affected by the Year 2000 Problem. As a result of such review
                  to date, the Company has no reason to believe, and does not
                  believe, that the Year 2000 Problem will have a Material
                  Adverse Effect. The "Year 2000 Problem" as used herein means
                  any significant risk that computer hardware or software used
                  in the receipt, transmission, processing, manipulation,
                  storage, retrieval, retransmission or other utilization of
                  data or in the operation of mechanical or electrical systems
                  of any kind will not, in the case of dates or time periods
                  occurring after December 31, 1999, function at least as
                  effectively as in the case of dates or time periods occurring
                  prior to January 1, 2000.

         (b) The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to, and agrees
         with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:

                  (i) All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders
                  necessary for the execution and delivery by such Selling
                  Stockholder of this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the
                  Custody Agreement hereinafter referred to, and for the sale
                  and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
                  Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling
                  Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into
                  this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody
                  Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares
                  to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder;



                  (ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
                  Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such Selling
                  Stockholder with all of the provisions of this Agreement, the
                  Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement and the
                  consummation of the transactions herein and therein
                  contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
                  violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute
                  a default under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of
                  trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to
                  which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such
                  Selling Stockholder is bound, or to which any of the property
                  or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, or any
                  statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or
                  governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such
                  Selling Stockholder or the property of such Selling
                  Stockholder;

                  (iii) Such Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to
                  the Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) such
                  Selling Stockholder will have, good and valid title to the
                  Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free
                  and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and,
                  upon delivery of such Shares and payment therefor pursuant
                  hereto, good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of
                  all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will pass to the
                  several Underwriters;

                  (iv) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take,
                  directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or
                  which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to
                  cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price
                  of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or
                  resale of the Shares;

                  (v) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the
                  Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the
                  Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto are made in
                  reliance upon and in conformity with written information
                  furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder expressly
                  for use therein, such Preliminary Prospectus and the
                  Registration Statement did, and the Prospectus and any further
                  amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and
                  the Prospectus, when they become effective or are filed with
                  the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all
                  material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules
                  and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not
                  contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
                  state any material fact required to be stated therein or
                  necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

                  (vi) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with
                  the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and
                  Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the
                  transactions herein contemplated, such Selling Stockholder
                  will deliver to you prior to or at the First Time of Delivery
                  (as hereinafter defined) a properly completed and executed
                  United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other
                  applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department
                  regulations in lieu thereof);

                  (vii) Certificates in negotiable form representing all of the
                  Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder have
                  been placed in custody under a Custody



                  Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to you (the
                  "Custody Agreement"), duly executed and delivered by such
                  Selling Stockholder to [_________________], as custodian (the
                  "Custodian"), and such Selling Stockholder has duly executed
                  and delivered a Power of Attorney, in the form heretofore
                  furnished to you (the "Power of Attorney"), appointing the
                  persons indicated in Schedule II hereto, and each of them, as
                  such Selling Stockholder's attorneys-in-fact (the
                  "Attorneys-in-Fact") with authority to execute and deliver
                  this Agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to
                  determine the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to
                  the Selling Stockholder as provided in Section 2 hereof, to
                  authorize the delivery of the Shares to be sold by such
                  Selling Stockholder hereunder and otherwise to act on behalf
                  of such Selling Stockholder in connection with the
                  transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Custody
                  Agreement; and

                  (viii) The Shares represented by the certificates held in
                  custody for such Selling Stockholder under the Custody
                  Agreement are subject to the interests of the Underwriters
                  hereunder; the arrangements made by such Selling Stockholder
                  for such custody, and the appointment by such Selling
                  Stockholder of the Attorneys-in-Fact by the Power of Attorney,
                  are to that extent irrevocable; the obligations of the Selling
                  Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of
                  law, whether by the death or incapacity of any individual
                  Selling Stockholder or, in the case of an estate or trust, by
                  the death or incapacity of any executor or trustee or the
                  termination of such estate or trust; if any individual Selling
                  Stockholder or any such executor or trustee should die or
                  become incapacitated, or if any such estate or trust should be
                  terminated, or if any such partnership or corporation should
                  be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before
                  the delivery of the Shares hereunder, certificates
                  representing the Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of
                  the Selling Stockholder in accordance with the terms and
                  conditions of this Agreement and of the Custody Agreement; and
                  actions taken by the Attorneys-in-Fact pursuant to the Powers
                  of Attorney shall be as valid as if such death, incapacity,
                  termination, dissolution or other event had not occurred,
                  regardless of whether or not the Custodian, the
                  Attorneys-in-Fact, or any of them, shall have received notice
                  of such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other
                  event.

         2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at
a purchase price per share of $........................, the number of Firm
Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and
(b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the
election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Selling Stockholder
agrees to sell, and the Company agrees to issue and sell, to each of the
Underwriters that portion of the Optional Shares as set forth opposite such
Selling Stockholder's name and the Company on Schedule II hereto, and each of
the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Selling
Stockholder and the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause
(a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which
such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to
eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional
Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional
Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth



opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator
of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters
are entitled to purchase hereunder.

         The Selling Stockholder and the Company hereby grant to the
Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to 900,000 Optional
Shares, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for
the purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares.
Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written
notice from you to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after
the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional
Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be
delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of
Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you, the Company and the
Attorney-in-Fact otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten
business days after the date of such notice. In the event the Underwriters
exercise such election to purchase less than all of the Optional Shares, the
Company and the Selling Stockholder shall each sell to the Underwriters a number
of Optional Shares (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares)
determined by multiplying the total number of Optional Shares as to which the
Underwriters have exercised such election by 5/90, in the case of Christopher G.
McCann, and 85/90, in the case of the Company.

         3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the
several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms
and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

         4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in
         definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in
         such names as Goldman, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least
         forty-eight hours' prior notice to the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the
         Selling Stockholder to Goldman, Sachs & Co., through the facilities of
         the Depository Trust Company, ("DTC") for the account of such
         Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the
         purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to
         the account specified by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, as
         their interests may appear, to Goldman, Sachs & Co. at least
         forty-eight hours in advance. The Company will cause the certificates
         representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging
         at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined
         below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated
         custodian (the "Designated Office). The time and date of such delivery
         and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New
         York City time, on ............., 1999 or such other time and date as
         Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing, and,
         with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the
         date specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by
         Goldman, Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such
         Optional Shares, or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
         the Company and the Selling Stockholder may agree upon in writing. Such
         time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the
         "First Time of Delivery", such time and date for delivery of the
         Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called
         the "Second Time of Delivery", and each such time and date for delivery
         is herein called a "Time of Delivery".

(b)      The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf
         of the parties hereto



         pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross receipt for the
         Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters
         pursuant to Section 7(j) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of
         Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP, 1633 Broadway, 47th Floor, New York, NY
         10019 (the "Closing Location"), and the Shares will be delivered at the
         Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held
         at the Closing Location at 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New
         York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which
         meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to
         the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties
         hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, "New York Business Day"
         shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which
         is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally
         authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

         5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

(a)      To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such
         Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the
         Commission's close of business on the second business day following the
         execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such
         earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to
         make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration
         Statement or Prospectus which shall be disapproved by you promptly
         after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it
         receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the
         Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any
         supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed
         and to furnish you with copies thereof; to advise you, promptly after
         it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any
         stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any
         Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus, of the suspension of the
         qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction,
         of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
         purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or
         supplementing of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for
         additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop
         order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any
         Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any such
         qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the
         withdrawal of such order;

(b)      Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably
         request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the
         securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply
         with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings
         therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to
         complete the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection
         therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign
         corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any
         jurisdiction;

(c)      Prior to 10:00 A.M. New York City time, on the New York Business Day
         next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to
         furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in New York City
         in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery
         of a prospectus is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine
         months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the
         offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have
         occurred as a result of which the



         Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
         necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
         circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is
         delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be
         necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Prospectus in
         order to comply with the Act, to notify you and upon your request to
         prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any
         dealer in securities as many copies as you may from time to time
         reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the
         Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such
         compliance, and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a
         prospectus in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time
         nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon
         your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and
         deliver to such Underwriter as many copies as you may request of an
         amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of
         the Act;

(d)      To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as
         practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the
         effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c)
         under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its
         subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a)
         of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, at the
         option of the Company, Rule 158);

(e)      During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and
         including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to
         offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of (except (i) as
         provided hereunder, (ii) for the issuance of Class A Stock upon the
         conversion of Preferred Stock of the Company or the conversion of Class
         B Stock of the Company, and (iii) for shares of Class A Common Stock or
         Class B Common Stock issued by the Company in a private placement or
         other unregistered sale, offer, grant or issuance in connection with an
         acquisition in which the recipients of such Common Stock or securities
         agree that such Common Stock or securities may not be transferred or
         sold by them during the period ending 180 days from the date of the
         Prospectus without your prior written consent), any securities of the
         Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not
         limited to any shares of Class B Stock or any other securities that are
         convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to
         receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities (other than
         pursuant to employee stock option or purchase plans existing on, or
         upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable
         securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without your
         prior written consent;

(f)      To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of
         each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and
         statements of income, stockholders' equity and cash flows of the
         Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent
         public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each
         of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the
         fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration
         Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary
         financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such
         quarter in reasonable detail;

(g)      During a period of five years from the effective date of the
         Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or
         other communications (financial or other) furnished to



         stockholders, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are available,
         copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed
         with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any
         class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional
         information concerning the business and financial condition of the
         Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial
         statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of
         the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished
         to its stockholders generally or to the Commission);

(h)      To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares
         pursuant to this Agreement and the International Underwriting Agreement
         in the manner specified in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of
         Proceeds";

(i)      To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on the
         National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
         National Market System ("NASDAQ");

(j)      To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K
         as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act; and

(k)      If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file
         a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance
         with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of
         this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay
         to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration
         Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee
         pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Act.

         6. The Company and the Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally,
covenant and agree with one another and the several Underwriters that (a) the
Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements
and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the
registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection
with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto
and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and
dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among
Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents
(including compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the
offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in
connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under
state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the
reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection
with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) all
fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the NASDAQ; (v) the
filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel
for the Underwriters in connection with, securing any required review by the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the
Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and
charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (viii) all other costs and
expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section ; and (b) such Selling
Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the
performance of such Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including (X) any fees and
expenses of counsel for such Selling Stockholder, if any, (Y) the fees and




expenses of the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian and (Z) all taxes incident
to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to
the Underwriters hereunder. In connection with clause (b)(Z) of the preceding
sentence, Goldman, Sachs & Co. agrees to pay New York State stock transfer tax,
and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse Goldman, Sachs & Co. for
associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day of
payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated. It is understood,
however, that the Company shall bear, and the Selling Stockholder shall not be
required to pay to or reimburse the Company for, the cost of any such matters
not directly relating to the sale and purchase of the Shares sold by the Selling
Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, and that, except as provided in this
Section, and Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their
own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer
taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses
connected with any offers they may make.

         7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to
be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to
the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of
the Company herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct,
the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations
hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

(a)      The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to
         Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such
         filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance
         with Section 5(a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule
         462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become
         effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
         Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
         Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and
         no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened
         by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the
         part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable
         satisfaction;

(b)      Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished
         to you such written opinion or opinions (a draft of each such opinion
         is attached as Annex II(a) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, with
         respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii), (vii), (xi),
         and (xiii) of subsection (c) below as well as such other related
         matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have
         received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to
         enable them to pass upon such matters;

(c)      Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have
         furnished to you their written opinion (a draft of such opinion is
         attached as Annex II(b) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form
         and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

                  (i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
                  existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
                  the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and
                  other) to own its properties and conduct its business as
                  described in the Prospectus which opinion, with respect to
                  valid existence and good standing, may be solely based upon a
                  review of a certificate from the Secretary of State of the
                  State of Delaware;

                  (ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth
                  in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital
                  stock of the Company (including the Shares



                  being delivered at such Time of Delivery) have been duly and
                  validly authorized and issued and are, or, in the case of the
                  Shares being issued at such Time of Delivery by the Company,
                  will be upon payment therefor in accordance with the terms
                  hereof, fully paid and nonassessable; and the Shares will
                  conform in all material respects at the Time of Delivery to
                  the description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;

                  (iii) The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign
                  corporation for the transaction of business and is in good
                  standing under the laws ____________, _________________,
                  ____________________ and __________________ (such counsel
                  being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this
                  clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect of
                  matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company,
                  provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that
                  both you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions
                  and certificates and such counsel provides you with copies of
                  such opinions and certificates);

                  (iv) Each of the Material Subsidiaries has been duly
                  incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good
                  standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;
                  and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Material
                  Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued,
                  are fully paid and non-assessable, and (except as otherwise
                  set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly
                  by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
                  equities or claims, except that the Company only owns [88% of
                  Plow & Hearth, Inc., 88% of Plow & Hearth, L.P., and ___% of
                  Floral Works, Inc.] (such counsel being entitled to rely in
                  respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local
                  counsel and in respect to matters of fact upon certificates of
                  officers of the Company or its subsidiaries, provided that
                  such counsel shall state that they believe that both you and
                  they are justified in relying upon such opinions and
                  certificates and such counsel provides you with copies of such
                  opinions and certificates);

(v)               To such counsel's knowledge and other than as set forth in the
                  Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings
                  pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a
                  party or of which any property of the Company or any of its
                  subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to
                  the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or
                  in the aggregate be reasonably likely to have a Material
                  Adverse Effect; and, to such counsel's knowledge, no such
                  proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental
                  authorities or threatened by others;

                  (vi) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
                  delivered by the Company;

                  (vii) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at such
                  Time of Delivery by the Company and the compliance by the
                  Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
                  consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not
                  conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
                  terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any
                  indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
                  agreement or instrument filed as an exhibit to the
                  Registration



                  Statement, nor will such action result in any violation of the
                  provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of
                  the Company which are in effect on the date hereof or which
                  will be in effect at the Closing or any statute or any order,
                  rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or
                  governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
                  Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties;

                  (viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
                  registration or qualification of or with any such court or
                  governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale
                  of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the
                  transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the
                  registration under the Act of the Shares, and such consents,
                  approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as
                  may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
                  connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by
                  the Underwriters and the International Underwriters;

                  (ix) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
                  caption "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they
                  purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock or
                  the Class B Stock, fairly summarize the matters referred to
                  therein in all material respects; and

                  (x) The Company is not an "investment company", as such term
                  is defined in the Investment Company Act.

                  In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that they
         express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction outside the
         United States.

         Such opinion letter shall also state that although such counsel does
not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or fairness of the statements in
the Registration Statement, except for those referred to in Subsection (ix) of
this Section 7(c), such counsel has participated in the preparation of the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including review and discussion of
the contents thereof with representatives of the Underwriters and their counsel,
officers and representatives of the Company, and nothing has come to such
counsel's attention that has caused it to believe that the Registration
Statement or any further amendment thereto, at the time the Registration
Statement or such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the
Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, as of its date or as
of such Time of Delivery, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel express no opinion
with respect to the financial statements and the notes thereto and the related
financial schedules included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus).

         Such opinion letter shall also state that the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus and any further amendments and supplements thereto made by
the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements
and the notes thereto and related financial schedules therein, as to which such
counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material aspects with
the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and



that such counsel does not know of any amendment to the Registration Statement
required to be filed or of any contracts or other documents required to be filed
as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not
filed as required.

(d)      The counsel for the Selling Stockholder, as indicated in Schedule II
         hereto, shall have furnished to you its written opinion, dated such
         Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the
         effect that:

                  (i) A Power of Attorney and a Custody Agreement have been duly
                  executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and
                  constitute valid and binding agreements of such Selling
                  Stockholder in accordance with their terms;

                  (ii) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or
                  on behalf of such Selling Stockholder; and the sale of the
                  Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and
                  the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with all of the
                  provisions of this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the
                  Custody Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
                  herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or
                  result in a breach or violation of any terms or provisions of,
                  or constitute a default under, any statute, indenture,
                  mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
                  instrument known to such counsel to which such Selling
                  Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is
                  bound, or to which any of the property or assets of such
                  Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such action result in
                  any violation of the provisions of any order, rule or
                  regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental
                  agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling
                  Stockholder or the property of such Selling Stockholder;

                  (iii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of any
                  court or governmental agency or body is required for the
                  consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
                  Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by such
                  Selling Stockholder hereunder, except such as have been
                  obtained under the Act and such as may be required under state
                  or foreign securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the
                  purchase and distribution of such Shares by the Underwriters
                  or the International Underwriters;

                  (iv) Valid title to the Shares sold by the Selling
                  Stockholder, free and clear of any adverse claim within the
                  meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code has been transferred to
                  each of the several Underwriters who have purchased such
                  Shares in good faith and without notice of any such adverse
                  claim.

         In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that they express no
opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction outside the United States and in
rendering the opinion in subparagraph (iv) such counsel may rely upon a
certificate of such Selling Stockholder in respect of matters of fact as to
ownership of, and liens, encumbrances, equities or claims on the Shares sold by
such Selling Stockholder, provided that such counsel shall state that they
believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such certificate;

(e)      On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this
         Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of
         any post-effective amendment to the



         Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement
         and also at each Time of Delivery, Ernst & Young LLP and KPMG LLP shall
         have furnished to you letters, dated the respective dates of delivery
         thereof, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you, to the
         effect set forth in Annex I hereto (the executed copies of the letters
         delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement are attached as
         Annex I(a) hereto and drafts of the forms of letters to be delivered on
         the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration
         Statement and as of each Time of Delivery are attached as Annex I(b)
         hereto);

(f)              Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
         sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
         included in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business
         from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered
         by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental
         action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in
         the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which
         information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been any
         change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of
         its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a
         prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management,
         financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of
         the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or
         contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case
         described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the
         Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or
         inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
         Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the
         manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(g)      On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of the
         following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in
         securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on NASDAQ, (ii)
         a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company's
         securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
         activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities; or
         (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United
         States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency
         or war, if the effect of any such event specified in this clause (iv)
         in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or
         inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
         Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the
         manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(h)      The Shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholder at
         such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed for quotation on
         NASDAQ;

(i)      The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed
         copies of an agreement, substantially to the effect set forth in
         Subsection 5(e) hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you, from
         all officers, directors, and key employees identified under the caption
         "Management" in the Prospectus and other shareholders and optionholders
         of the Company beneficially owning at least the number of shares of
         Stock, and options to purchase at least the number of shares of stock,
         as are described as being subject to lock-up agreements in the
         Prospectus under the caption "Shares Eligible for Future Sale";

(j)      The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c)
         hereof with respect to the



         furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding
         the date of this Agreement; and

(k)      The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished or caused
         to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of
         officers of the Company and of the Selling Stockholder satisfactory to
         you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the
         Company and the Selling Stockholder herein at and as of such Time of
         Delivery, as to the performance by the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder of all of their respective obligations hereunder to be
         performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set
         forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section and as to such other
         matters as you may reasonably request.

8.       The Company and the Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally, will
         indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses,
         claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
         Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as
         such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
         thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) an untrue statement or
         alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
         Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or
         supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
         alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the
         statements therein, in light if the circumstances under which they were
         made, not misleading, or (ii) an untrue statement or alleged untrue
         statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or
         any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon
         the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
         required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
         therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any
         legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in
         connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as
         such expenses are incurred; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company and the
         Selling Stockholder shall not be liable in any such case to the extent
         that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is
         based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
         or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
         Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment or
         supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
         furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through a Representative
         expressly for use therein; provided, further, that notwithstanding
         anything herein to the contrary, the Selling Stockholder shall not be
         liable in any case for any amounts in excess of fifty percent (50%) of
         the product of the price per share set forth in clause of Section 2 of
         this Agreement, multiplied by the number of Optional Shares sold by the
         Selling Stockholder hereunder;

(b)      Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each
         Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities
         to which the Company or such Selling Stockholder may become subject,
         under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
         liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
         upon (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
         fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any
         amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the
         omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary
         to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
         which they were made, not misleading, or (ii) an untrue statement or
         alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
         Registration Statement or



         any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon
         the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
         required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
         therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the
         extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or
         omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus,
         the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment or
         supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
         furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through a Representative
         expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company and the
         Selling Stockholder for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
         by the Company or the Selling Stockholder in connection with
         investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses
         are incurred.

(c)      Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
         (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified
         party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the
         indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party
         in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify
         the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it
         may have to any indemnified party under such subsections (a) and (b),
         unless failure to do so materially prejudices the indemnifying party's
         ability to defend against such action. In case any such action shall be
         brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the
         indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party
         shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it
         shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly
         notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably
         satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the
         consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying
         party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such
         indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the
         indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under
         such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other
         expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party,
         in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
         investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent
         of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or
         consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or
         threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or
         contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified
         party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless
         such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional
         release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such
         action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an
         admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of
         any indemnified party.

(d)      If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable to
         or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection
         (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
         liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then
         each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable
         by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages
         or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is
         appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company
         and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
         other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation
         provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by
         applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice
         required under subsection (c) above, then



         each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable
         by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to
         reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of
         the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the
         Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
         omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities
         (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant
         equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company
         and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
         other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net
         proceeds from the offering of the Shares purchased under this Agreement
         (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions
         received by the Underwriters with respect to the Shares purchased under
         this Agreement, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover
         page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by
         reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue
         statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to
         state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or
         the Selling Stockholder on the one hand or the Underwriters on the
         other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
         information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
         omission. The Company, each of the Selling Stockholder and the
         Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
         contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by PRO
         RATA allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity
         for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
         take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this
         subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a
         result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
         respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be
         deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
         such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
         any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
         subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any
         amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the
         Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to
         the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has
         otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged
         untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of
         fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
         the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
         guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters'
         obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in
         proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

(e)      The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under this
         Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and
         the Selling Stockholder may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the
         same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any
         Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the
         Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability
         which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend,
         upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the
         Company (including any person, if any, who, with his or her consent, is
         named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of
         the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company
         within the meaning of the Act.

         9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Shares which it has



agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion
arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the
terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any
Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company
and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six
hours within which to procure another party or other parties reasonably
satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that,
within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and the Selling
Stockholder that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the
Company and the Selling Stockholder notifies you that it has so arranged for the
purchase of such Shares, you or the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall
have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than
seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or
arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments to the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be
made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include
any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had
originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

(b)      If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
         Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the
         Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided in subsection (a)
         above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased
         does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares
         to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company and the
         Selling Stockholder shall have the right to require each non-defaulting
         Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such Underwriter
         agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition,
         to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata
         share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to
         purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or
         Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but
         nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability
         for its default.

(c)      If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
         Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the
         Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided in subsection (a)
         above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased
         exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be
         purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b)
         above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a
         defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with
         respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the
         Underwriters to purchase and of the Selling Stockholder to sell the
         Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the
         part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company or the Selling
         Stockholder, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the
         Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6
         hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 8
         hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
         liability for its default.

         10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the several
Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results



thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of
any Underwriter, or the Company, or the Selling Stockholder or any officer or
director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and
payment for the Shares.

         11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholder shall then be under any
liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided herein, the Company and each of
the Selling Stockholder pro rata (based on the number of Shares to be sold by
the Company and such Selling Stockholder hereunder) will reimburse the
Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by
you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the
Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the
Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall then
be under no further liability to any Underwriter in respect of the Shares not so
delivered except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.

         12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you as the
representatives and in all dealings with the Selling Stockholder hereunder, you
and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request,
notice or agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder made or given by any
or all of the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

         All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 32 Old Slip, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Registration
Department; if to the Selling Stockholder shall be delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile transmission to counsel for such Selling Stockholder at its
address set forth in Schedule II hereto; and if to the Company shall be
delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the
Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: James F. McCann;
provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(c)
hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to
such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters' Questionnaire, or
telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the
Company or the Selling Stockholder by you upon request. Any such statements,
requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt
thereof.

         13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company, the Selling Stockholder and, to the
extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the
Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no
other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be
deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

         14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.



         15. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.

         16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.

         If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us five counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by
you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance
hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and
the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of
each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of
Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the
Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to
the authority of the signers thereof.


                                          Very truly yours,

                                          1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC.


                                          By:
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Name:
                                              Title:



                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Christopher G. McCann
Accepted as of the date hereof:

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
WIT CAPITAL CORPORATION



BY:
    -------------------------------
        (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)

On behalf of each of the Underwriters





                                                       SCHEDULE I




                                                                                               NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
                                                                                                  SHARES TO BE
                                                                           TOTAL NUMBER OF        PURCHASED IF
                                                                             FIRM SHARES         MAXIMUM OPTION
                              UNDERWRITER                                  TO BE PURCHASED          EXERCISED
                                                                                         
Goldman, Sachs & Co................................................
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation ............................
Wit Capital Corporation ...........................................
[Names of other Underwriters]



                 Total.............................................

                                                                             6,000,000              900,000





                                   SCHEDULE II

                                                        TOTAL NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
                                                        ------------------------

SHARES TO BE SOLD

Christopher G. McCann... ....................................     50,000

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc.......................................    850,000








                                                                         ANNEX I

                 [FORM OF ANNEX I DESCRIPTION OF COMFORT LETTER
                    FOR REGISTRATION STATEMENTS ON FORM S-1]

         Pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:


                  (i) They are independent certified public accountants with
         respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the
         Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;

                  (ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any
         supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable,
         financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by
         them and included in the Prospectus or the Registration Statement
         comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
         accounting requirements of the Act and the related published rules and
         regulations thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in
         accordance with standards established by the American Institute of
         Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited consolidated interim
         financial statements, selected financial data, pro forma financial
         information, financial forecasts and/or condensed financial statements
         derived from audited financial statements of the Company for the
         periods specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports
         thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the representatives of
         the Underwriters (the "Representatives");

                  (iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards
         established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
         of the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income,
         consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows
         included in the Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon copies
         of which have been separately furnished to the Representatives and on
         the basis of specified procedures including inquiries of officials of
         the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting
         matters regarding whether the unaudited condensed consolidated
         financial statements referred to in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply
         as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
         requirements of the Act and the related published rules and
         regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to
         believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
         do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
         accounting requirements of the Act and the related published rules and
         regulations;

                  (iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect
         to the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the
         Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the
         Prospectus agrees with the corresponding amounts (after restatements
         where applicable) in the audited consolidated financial statements for
         such five fiscal years;

                  (v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under
         selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K
         and on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing
         came to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that
         caused them to believe that this information does not conform



         in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301,
         302, 402 and 503(d), respectively, of Regulation S-K;

                  (vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
         examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
         consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other
         information referred to below, a reading of the latest available
         interim financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries,
         inspection of the minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries
         since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in
         the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its
         subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such
         other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter,
         nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that:

                         (A) (i) the unaudited consolidated statements of
                  income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated
                  statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus do not
                  comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
                  accounting requirements of the Act and the related published
                  rules and regulations, or (ii) any material modifications
                  should be made to the unaudited condensed consolidated
                  statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
                  consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
                  Prospectus for them to be in conformity with generally
                  accepted accounting principles;

                         (B) any other unaudited income statement data and
                  balance sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree
                  with the corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated
                  financial statements from which such data and items were
                  derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not
                  determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis
                  for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated
                  financial statements included in the Prospectus;

                         (C) the unaudited financial statements which were not
                  included in the Prospectus but from which were derived any
                  unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in clause
                  (A) and any unaudited income statement data and balance sheet
                  items included in the Prospectus and referred to in clause (B)
                  were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with
                  the basis for the audited consolidated financial statements
                  included in the Prospectus;

                         (D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed
                  financial statements included in the Prospectus do not comply
                  as to form in all material respects with the applicable
                  accounting requirements of the Act and the published rules and
                  regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not
                  been properly applied to the historical amounts in the
                  compilation of those statements;

                         (E) as of a specified date not more than five days
                  prior to the date of such letter, there have been any changes
                  in the consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of
                  capital stock upon exercise of options and stock appreciation
                  rights, upon earn-outs of performance shares and upon
                  conversions of convertible securities, in each case which were
                  outstanding on the date of the latest financial statements
                  included in the Prospectus) or any increase in the
                  consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its
                  subsidiaries, or any decreases in



                  consolidated net current assets or stockholders' equity or
                  other items specified by the Representatives, or any increases
                  in any items specified by the Representatives, in each case as
                  compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet
                  included in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes,
                  increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have
                  occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter;
                  and

                         (F) for the period from the date of the latest
                  financial statements included in the Prospectus to the
                  specified date referred to in clause (E) there were any
                  decreases in consolidated net revenues or operating profit or
                  the total or per share amounts of consolidated net income or
                  other items specified by the Representatives, or any increases
                  in any items specified by the Representatives, in each case as
                  compared with the comparable period of the preceding year and
                  with any other period of corresponding length specified by the
                  Representatives, except in each case for decreases or
                  increases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may
                  occur or which are described in such letter; and

                  (vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their
         report(s) included in the Prospectus and the limited procedures,
         inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to
         in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out certain
         specified procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance
         with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain
         amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the
         Representatives, which are derived from the general accounting records
         of the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus, or
         in Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration
         Statement specified by the Representatives, and have compared certain
         of such amounts, percentages and financial information with the
         accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and have found
         them to be in agreement.