How to Ship Flowers: A Step by Step Guide

Receiving a fresh, vibrant bouquet of flowers through the post is a sure way to brighten someone’s day. From birthdays to anniversaries, special occasions are not complete without a beautiful floral arrangement. However, flowers are inherently delicate, making sending them in the post a particularly precarious task.

Whether you're a florist looking to expand your reach or an individual sending flowers to a loved one, understanding the essentials of flower shipping will help you to ensure your blooms arrive at their destination looking as stunning as they did when they left.

Packaging for Shipping Flowers

The key to shipping flowers successfully is using the right packaging materials. Ultimately, the packaging needs to support the weight of the flowers, prevent damage to the delicate petals, and maintain the bouquet’s overall freshness.

Moisture-Retentive Sponges

For the flowers to stay fresh during transit, they will need a source of water. A wet floral sponge strapped tightly to the cut end of the flowers is the best way to achieve this. Ensure the sponge is as wet as possible for the best chance of the flowers surviving the journey and wrap this in plastic to avoid it causing moisture damage to your external packaging.

Padding

To prevent the petals breaking, wrap the flowering end of the stems in soft packaging such as tissue paper or bubble wrap. Ensure they are nicely cushioned, but don’t wrap too tight to avoid tearing at the petals and causing damage to the bouquet.

Cardboard Flower Boxes

A lightweight, durable cardboard box is the most commonly used and highly recommended shipping container for fresh flowers. Specially shaped and sized cardboard flower boxes will naturally be the best choice for this purpose.

·    Size — select a box that is big enough to accommodate all the flowers but small enough to avoid the flowers shifting around in transit and getting damaged.

·        Ventilation — if you are concerned about moisture inside the box leading to mould growth, opt for a box with built-in ventilation.

·        Strength — double walled boxes will offer the best durability and protection.

How To Pack Flowers

Once you have acquired all of the correct packaging, you can start to prepare and pack your flowers for transit. Bear in mind that your flowers could be in the postal system for multiple days; it is important to take all the necessary measures to avoid your flowers reaching their destination in a sorry state.

1.   Trim the stems — trim the stems at a diagonal angle to make it easier for them to take in water. Leave them slightly longer than intended so that recipient can give them a further trim on receipt.

2.   Wrap the flowers — wrap the ends of your stems in a very wet floral sponge so that your flowers can continue to drink during transit.

3.     Protect the petals — wrap the flowering end of the stems in tissue paper or bubble wrap to protect the petals from crushing.

4.   Secure the flowers — secure the bouquet in place in the box. For example, consider punching two small holes in the box and threading a zip tie through to secure the bunch to an internal wall of the box. This will help to avoid the bouquet slipping around and getting damaged during transit.

5.     Seal the box — use your choice of plastic or paper tape to seal the box shut. Ensure all edges are taped down securely.

6.     Label the box — clearly mark the box as “fragile” and “perishable” and affix the recipient’s address clearly to the top of the box.