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Flower baskets by flower type in Shanghai: the flower decides how long it lasts
Flower baskets by flower type in Shanghai put every stem into the same block of foam, so the arrangement ages as a whole and its life is set by the shortest-lived flower inside it. Carnations, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria last two to three weeks, roses about one. The section is split by flower rather than by style, so choosing here means choosing a vase life, a season and a care routine, not just a look.
Choosing a flower basket by the flower inside
Roses come in three forms: the ordinary rose, the spray rose with several small heads on one stem, and the peony rose with a dense, many-petalled cup. Spring bulb flowers sit in their own group, tulip, hyacinth and ranunculus, and summer brings peony, hydrangea and sunflower. A wider, year-round group covers carnation, chrysanthemum, alstroemeria, gerbera, lily, eustoma and orchid, and a smaller-flowered group holds gypsophila, daisy and iris.
Some baskets are built from one flower alone, a single mass of lilies or of hydrangea heads. Others pair two, roses with hyacinths or peonies with peony roses, so the two textures sit side by side. A wicker basket does not hold water on its own: it is lined and packed with floral foam, which is why it stands without a vase.
Carnation, chrysanthemum, alstroemeria and a cut orchid are the section's long stayers, holding for two to three weeks once cut. A carnation baskets arrangement is a straightforward way to buy that extra time.
A rose lasts about a week, sometimes closer to ten days with fresh water and a clean cut. In a mixed basket the shortest-lived flower still sets the pace: a basket that pairs roses with carnations ages with the rose, whatever the carnation still has left in it. One flag to watch is the chrysanthemum, whose leaves yellow before the bloom does, so they are stripped off rather than left to spoil the display.
Tulips in spring, peonies in early summer: basket flowers by season
In the northern hemisphere, tulip, hyacinth and ranunculus belong to spring, and peony follows in early summer. Hydrangea and sunflower carry the display through the summer months. Dutch greenhouse tulips are cut from December to May, so the window for them runs well beyond a single spring week.
Chrysanthemum, gerbera, alstroemeria, lily, eustoma and carnation are greenhouse flowers, grown under cover and sold all year. A basket is bought to order and the flowers are sourced only after payment, so a variety that is briefly out of reach is swapped for one close in shade and price. That substitution shows on the photo before the basket leaves the workshop.
Looking after a flower basket at home
The foam takes a thin stream of water once a day, spread across its whole open surface, with the basket kept level rather than tipped. Once foam has dried out it barely absorbs water again, so a missed day or two is hard to reverse.
Hydrangea drinks more than the other flowers in the basket and takes in water through its petals as well as its stem, which is worth remembering if it starts to droop. A lily basket calls for more care in a home with a cat: every part of the plant, along with its pollen and even the water in the container, is toxic to cats, so lily is not the flower to send there. The pollen also stains fabric, which is why the anthers are removed once a lily opens.
A tulip keeps growing after it is cut and leans towards the light, so the whole basket's outline can shift within a day or two. Radiators, direct sun and a bowl of ripe fruit nearby all shorten a basket's life, so it is worth keeping it clear of all three.
Every basket is put together to order, and a photo of the finished arrangement is sent before the courier sets off, with time for changes before that point. Most orders are delivered on the day they are placed, and the exact timing shows in the product card; delivery zones and terms are set out on the delivery details page.
The card that comes with the basket is free and can be left unsigned if the sender wants to stay anonymous. Chocolates from the Sweets Baskets range can be added to the order at checkout, separately from the flowers themselves. Many hospitals do not allow fresh flowers on the ward, so it is worth having the manager check the rules for that department before ordering one for a patient.
For a basket that needs to hold up over weeks rather than days, alstroemeria baskets are one of the steadier choices in the section. Where the season matters more than the calendar on the wall, peony baskets suit early summer and tulip baskets suit the months either side of it.