Chrysanthemums in Geneva

Chrysanthemums in Geneva: an autumn flower that stays in season all year

In the northern-hemisphere cut-flower calendar, chrysanthemums belong to late summer and autumn, and in Japan they stand for the season itself, yet chrysanthemums in Geneva come from greenhouses and stay in the catalogue all year. With the season decided for you, what is left to choose is the colour, the stem count and the person who will receive the bouquet.

Pink, gold and spray: the chrysanthemum bouquets in the section

The section holds single-colour bouquets in blush pink, gold and pale blue, alongside a spray chrysanthemum sold as a loose bunch or gathered into its own bouquet. A mixed chrysanthemum bouquet sits next to named arrangements such as Cassiopeia, Palermo and Siren, each built on a different palette. Florists treat the chrysanthemum as a mass flower: its round, dense head gives a bouquet weight and lets it carry the centre on its own, without other blooms around it. That makes a single-colour bouquet a straightforward choice when the flower itself, rather than a mix of varieties, is meant to do the work. For those who want to compare it with another well-known mass flower, roses sit in their own section of the catalogue.

In France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Croatia, the large incurve chrysanthemum is closely tied to death. It is the flower people take to a funeral or lay on a grave, rather than one sent for a birthday. Japan reads the same flower differently. There it is the emblem of the imperial house and the season's own symbol, appearing on the autumn calendar the way maple leaves do. In China the chrysanthemum stands for longevity, and in the United States it is generally treated as a cheerful, everyday flower with no association with mourning at all.

Australia narrows the choice further on one date. For Mother's Day, a coloured chrysanthemum is worn or given when the mother is alive, and a white one when the day is spent in her memory. None of these customs rule a bouquet in or out on their own, but it is worth thinking of where the recipient is from before settling on one.

How many stems and which colour to choose

Several names in the section carry a stem count: five, seven, nine. In Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and most of the former Soviet Union, an odd number of stems is the one given to someone living, while an even number is reserved for remembrance. Outside that part of the world the count carries no particular meaning, and a bouquet can be chosen on colour and size alone.

Colour follows a simpler rule. A monochrome bouquet, the kind named Pink or Gold in the section, is built on shades of a single colour rather than one flat tone. A deeper pink sits next to a blush one, for instance, or gold beside a warmer bronze. A mixed chrysanthemum bouquet takes the opposite approach, bringing several colours together rather than variations on one.

How long chrysanthemums last in a vase

A chrysanthemum typically lasts two to three weeks in a vase, well beyond the week a rose usually manages. The leaves tend to fade before the flower does, turning yellow while the head is still fully open. They are removed rather than left to sit in the water.

The rest of the care is the same as for most cut flowers. The stems are recut at an angle with a sharp knife, any leaves that would sit below the waterline come off, and the water is changed every day or two as it clouds. The vase itself is best kept away from radiators, direct sun and a bowl of ripe fruit.

Every bouquet in the section is put together to order, and the flowers themselves are bought only after the order is paid for. Before the courier sets off, a photo of the finished bouquet goes to the sender, and if something needs adjusting, that is the point to ask. Where a particular stem or shade is not available, the florist substitutes one close in colour and price, and the substitution is visible in that same photo.

The card that goes with the bouquet costs nothing extra and can be left unsigned if the sender prefers to stay anonymous. Payment is taken by card, and orders are accepted at any hour of the day or night. Most bouquets are delivered on the day they are ordered, and the exact timing for a given bouquet is shown on its own page rather than promised in general. Within the centre, delivery costs nothing.

Choosing where to start is simpler than the section makes it look. Other single-flower bouquets sit one step back from chrysanthemums when a different flower suits the occasion better, and the full flower range covers everything beyond single-flower arrangements. Delivery zones and the centre's free delivery are covered on the delivery page.