Sending Roses and Preserved Flowers

GIFTS · UNITED STATES

Sending Roses and Preserved Flowers

Fresh versus preserved, timing delivery, conditioning and what lasts

Flowers sent as a gift arrive at a moment, and almost everything that goes wrong is about timing and conditioning rather than the flowers themselves.

Fresh roses arrive closed

Stems are cut and shipped in bud so they open at the recipient's house rather than in transit. A box that looks unpromising on arrival usually looks best on day three.

Tell the recipient to re-cut every stem at an angle, strip any leaves below the waterline and use the flower food supplied. That is the difference between five days and twelve.

Preserved roses

Real roses treated with a glycerine-based solution that replaces the sap, keeping them soft and coloured for a year or more. They need no water and should be kept out of direct sunlight and damp.

They cost more upfront and last enormously longer, which suits an anniversary or a memorial better than a bouquet.

Timing the delivery

Confirm someone will be there, since flowers left in a hot porch for a day are finished. Avoid sending perishables to a workplace on a Friday.

Order well ahead for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, when prices rise steeply and couriers are least reliable.

Care once they arrive

Change the water every two days and rinse the vase properly each time. Keep them away from direct sun, radiators, draughts and the fruit bowl, since ripening fruit releases ethylene and ages flowers fast.

Include a message

Flowers arriving with no note are a puzzle rather than a gift. Write something specific to them rather than accepting the default text at checkout.

Arranging them

Cut stems to varying heights, put the largest flowers in first to build a shape, then fill with foliage. A vase around half the height of the finished arrangement gives the stems something to lean on.

Remove any stem as it fades, re-cut the survivors shorter and move to a smaller vase, which gets a second week out of a bouquet.

Alternatives to cut flowers

A plant lasts for years rather than days and suits people who would rather not watch cut flowers die. Check the plant is not toxic to cats or dogs before sending one.

Subscriptions

A flower subscription arrives repeatedly and is remembered longer than a single bouquet. Check how far ahead you must skip a delivery, since most services set a cut-off several days before dispatch.

Confirm whether the subscription renews automatically and who ends up being charged.

Pets

Lilies are seriously toxic to cats, including the pollen. Check before sending any mixed arrangement to a household that has one.

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