Packing Flowers for Transport: What We Do at the Counter Before You Leave
The right way to pack flowers for transport depends on how long the trip is and what the weather is doing. For a journey under half an hour, a breathable paper wrap and holding the bouquet upright is enough; for anything longer, the stem ends need a sealed water pack, the heads need a loose protective cone and the bouquet needs a box or container that keeps it still. In frost, every part of the flower must be covered before you step outside.
In our shops in Saint Petersburg the most common question at the counter is simple: will it survive the trip. After fifteen years of packing bouquets for the metro, for the drive to a dacha and for the overnight train to Moscow, we have a clear routine for each case. Here it is, organised by the type of journey, so you can find the one that matches yours.
A short walk or a metro ride: under 30 minutes
For a short trip most bouquets need nothing special beyond good wrapping. We leave the stems in water until the last moment, dry the ends with a paper towel so they do not drip on your coat, and wrap the bouquet in matte paper or kraft with an open top. Paper lets the flowers breathe and stops neighbouring heads rubbing against each other when you move.
Carry the bouquet heads up, close to your body, rather than swinging it at arm's length. In a crowded carriage, turn the heads towards the wall or window and keep the bouquet away from the doors, where people push past. A tall paper bag with a flat base is useful for medium bouquets: the stems rest on the bottom and the bag takes the knocks instead of the petals.
For more on handling crowds and escalators, see our notes on transporting flowers on public transport in Russia. The key point is that 20-30 minutes without water does not harm a freshly hydrated bouquet, so there is no need to rush or over-pack.
A car journey of one to five hours
This is where a water pack makes the real difference. We wrap the stem ends in a thick layer of wet cotton or absorbent paper, seal it in a plastic bag and tie it tight with tape, so the flowers drink the whole way and nothing leaks onto the seat. For a large hand-tied bouquet, a bucket or a cut plastic container with 5-7 cm of water, wedged into the footwell, is even better.
Fix the bouquet so it cannot move. A cardboard box with a hole in the lid, a bucket held by a bag on each side, or a passenger holding it upright all work. The boot and the rear shelf are the worst places: in summer they heat up far above the cabin temperature, and in winter the boot is close to the outside cold. Our article on transporting flowers by car compares flat and upright positions for different bouquets.
Keep the air conditioning moderate and point the vents away from the flowers. Direct cold air dries petals almost as fast as heat. Do not put the bouquet next to a bag of fruit: apples and bananas give off ethylene, which speeds up ageing in carnations, lilies and alstroemeria.
Bouquets we can deliver
A train or a full day on the road
Customers taking a bouquet on a long train ride usually ask us for a flower box rather than a hand-tied bouquet, and that is the right instinct. In a box the stems sit in wet floral foam, which holds water for a day or more, and the arrangement keeps its shape without any vase. Keep the box level at all times, on the table or the floor of the compartment, never on its side on the luggage rack.
If you prefer a hand-tied bouquet, choose flowers that travel well and buy them slightly closed. Roses with firm heads, chrysanthemums, carnations, alstroemeria and eustoma cope with a long day much better than hydrangeas, sweet peas or fully open peonies. Lilies are fine in bud, but ask for the stamens to be removed so pollen does not stain your luggage.
On an overnight train, open the wrapping at the top and stand the bouquet in a bottle of water if you can secure it. Train compartments are warm and dry, and a bouquet sealed in film for twelve hours arrives limp. Air travel is a separate case with its own rules; our guide to carrying flowers on public transport and planes goes through it.
Frost, wind and the Saint Petersburg winter
From November to March, packing is mostly about the cold. At minus five or below, petals of roses, tulips and gerberas can freeze within a few minutes of exposure, and the damage often shows only later as dark, glassy patches. We wrap winter bouquets in several layers of paper with the heads fully closed, sometimes with a layer of foam wrap or a thermal bag on top.
Plan the route so the bouquet spends as little time outside as possible. Carry it under the coat flap or close to your body, and do not leave it in a parked car while you run an errand. Wind off the Neva is often more damaging than the temperature itself, because it pulls moisture out of the petals.
Indoors, do not unwrap the bouquet straight away. Leave it in its paper for 10-15 minutes in the hallway so the flowers warm up gradually, then unwrap, recut the stems and put them in cool, not warm, water. A sharp temperature jump is what most often causes winter bouquets to fade in a day.
Reviving a bouquet that has had a hard journey
Even well-packed flowers sometimes arrive tired. Remove all wrapping, cut 2-3 cm off each stem at an angle with a sharp knife and strip any leaves that would sit in water. Then give the bouquet a deep drink: stand it in a bucket of cool water up to the flower necks, in a dark, cool room, for one to two hours.
Drooping roses can often be saved this way, as can hydrangeas, which also absorb water through their petals and respond well to a short soak of the heads. Tulips that have bent will usually straighten if you rewrap them tightly in paper and stand them in water for an hour. After that, use a clean vase, change the water daily and keep the flowers away from radiators and direct sun.
When it is better to send the flowers instead of carrying them
If the person you want to surprise lives in another city, or you are abroad, the most reliable packing is no journey at all. We deliver across Russia. In large cities express delivery arrives 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, or you can choose an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In Saint Petersburg, delivery runs around the clock.
The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, and if nobody is in we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, a handover to a neighbour or concierge. Delivery is anonymous by default, and a card with your text is free. Choose a bouquet in the catalogue and pay on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay; foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa. For questions, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do florists pack flowers for a long journey?
The stem ends are sealed in a wet cotton or paper pack inside plastic, the heads are covered with a loose paper cone, and the bouquet is fixed upright in a box or container. For journeys of a day, a flower box with wet foam is the safest option.
Which flowers survive transport best?
Chrysanthemums, carnations, alstroemeria, eustoma and firm roses are the most resilient. Hydrangeas, sweet peas and fully open peonies are the most delicate and wilt quickly in warmth.
How long can a bouquet stay in a car?
With a water pack and moderate temperature, a hand-tied bouquet usually manages three to five hours. Never leave it in a parked car in summer heat or winter frost.
How do I keep flowers from freezing in winter?
Wrap the whole bouquet, heads included, in several layers of paper and keep time outdoors to a minimum. Indoors, let it warm up in its wrapping for 10-15 minutes before unpacking.
Can you deliver flowers in Saint Petersburg at night?
Yes, in Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock. Across Russia you can choose express delivery in large cities, an exact time or a pre-order up to 30 days ahead.
Ready to send a bouquet?
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