For a First Grader in Buenos Aires

Flowers for a first grader: a bouquet for a very long morning

A first day of school lasts longer for a child than adults tend to remember. Getting ready, travelling, an assembly, photographs, a first lesson, and only then home again. A bouquet travels that whole distance, and it should be chosen for that distance rather than for a doorstep photo.

One mistake repeats every year. Parents pick a large ceremonial bouquet, a child holds it in both arms, tires within twenty minutes, and spends the rest of the morning asking someone else to carry it.

Size and weight

• No taller than a child's shoulder.
• A dense compact shape that can be held in one hand.
• Medium stems, since long ones trail along the ground.
• Simple wrapping, without heavy decoration or a mass of ribbon.

Robust varieties handle such a day far better than delicate ones. Chrysanthemum, gerbera, alstroemeria and dianthus hold their shape for hours out of water.

Roses go in only with thorns fully removed. Lily, lily of the valley and hyacinth are usually left out of a child's bouquet because of their toxic parts, and lily pollen is worth removing early, since it marks a uniform permanently.

Gladioli appear often in first day traditions, but they are tall and heavy for a seven year old. If they are what you want, have the stems shortened.

Beyond the bouquet itself

Everyone photographs this morning. A bouquet appears whole in the frame, so a clear shape and a readable colour work better than intricate combinations that blur in a picture.

Flowers for a teacher are usually ordered separately and passed on by a parent. Carrying two bouquets is beyond a small child, and handing over whichever comes to hand looks careless.

Many schools have parents agree on a single class gift. Check before ordering, or an assembly ends up with thirty identical bouquets and one that stands out.

A first grader needs a bouquet he or she can carry alone. Everything else that morning is already taken care of.

Ordering and delivery

A first day of term is a peak date. Stock is taken early and morning delivery windows are narrow, so orders go in several days ahead.

Have a bouquet made the previous evening and keep it cool, in water, out of direct sun. Take it out half an hour before leaving.

If flowers cross Buenos Aires straight to a school, give a child's name, class and an adult phone number. Entrances are crowded that morning, and without a contact a courier loses time.

JFLOO keeps flowers for a first grader beside its sections for academic dates. Work from a child's height and from the weight of a bouquet. On this particular day they matter more than variety.