Roses in Zurich

Roses with delivery in Zurich: varieties, Zurich occasions, and freshness by the lake

Zurich sits at the northern tip of Lake Zurich, where the Limmat leaves the water. It is the country's financial centre, and the audience here is exacting. On the Bahnhofstrasse and in Seefeld, a rose goes to a restaurant dinner, an anniversary, a business reception. On the Zürichberg and the Goldküste the pace is quieter and more affluent; in Aussersihl and Schwamendingen, more everyday. Banks, insurers, and head offices draw people to the city, and expatriate families live alongside them. We built the catalogue with that range of demand in mind.

The category covers single-variety bouquets, mixed arrangements, and single stems. Sizes range from a compact 7-rose bouquet to formal 51 and 101-stem presentations. For hotels, banks, and corporate orders, we supply box and hatbox formats — frequently ordered for receptions in the centre and events along the Bahnhofstrasse and the lakefront.

Which varieties to choose

Our rose catalogue is built around three sourcing groups: Ecuadorian large-headed roses, Dutch classics, and English garden roses by David Austin. Each group has its natural occasion — from a bold statement bouquet to a quiet romantic gesture.

• Freedom — deep red, bud diameter 6–7 cm, stem 70–80 cm. A vase life of up to 14 days. The benchmark red rose for anniversaries and Valentine's orders.
• Avalanche+ — pure white, large dense bud, no scent. A neutral anchor for any mixed arrangement and for wedding work.
• Red Naomi — dark burgundy-red with velvet-textured petals. Photogenic and dramatic — often requested for receptions and hotel lobbies.
• Juliet, Patience — David Austin garden roses. Cup-shaped, densely petalled, with a myrrh and apricot fragrance. A natural choice for bridal bouquets and gifts meant to please.
• Tropical Amazona — coral-to-orange gradient. Works well for summer and autumn compositions.
• Sweet Unique — lilac-pink tones, mid-sized bud. An unexpected choice for those who want to move beyond the predictable red-and-pink palette.

Occasions and stem count

One stem is a quiet, considered gesture. Three: a warm thank-you. Seven or nine: romantic without being theatrical. Twenty-five reads as a serious declaration. Fifty-one and 101 are reserved for anniversaries, engagements, and milestone dates.

The Zurich calendar follows the Swiss rhythm. Valentine's Day (14 February) remains the great red-rose occasion. Mother's Day in Switzerland falls on the second Sunday of May. Add anniversaries, the 1 August National Day, and the busy year-end of receptions and parties — from the Christmas market at the main station to the dinners of the financial quarter. Roses also accompany the everyday life of the city's offices and hotels all year round.

Freshness and logistics

Dutch roses reach Zurich from the Aalsmeer and Royal FloraHolland auctions by refrigerated truck — roughly 850 km and an overnight run across Germany. Lots are distributed to florists through Swiss wholesalers. Ecuadorian and Kenyan varieties arrive by air freight, through European flower hubs and Zurich Airport (ZRH) in Kloten — the country's largest.

From unloading to your door, the window is 24 hours or less. Flowers are held in cold storage at +4…+6°C until assembly. From cut to the recipient's vase takes 2–3 days, and with proper care Dutch varieties last 10–14 days, David Austin garden roses 7–10.

"The Zurich buyer reads quality in the details — how the stem holds, whether the bud is even, which variety it is. When a rose travels across half of Europe or up from the equator, the cold chain decides everything. Order a week ahead of Valentine's Day; the best lots go first, and in the banking quarter those days bring a flood of orders."

— Markus Brunner, florist, Zurich, 15 years in the trade

Delivery specifics in Zurich

Zurich lies around 410 m above sea level, at the northern edge of the lake, where the Limmat flows out and takes in the Sihl. The climate is temperate, but the weather is changeable: in winter the bise — a cold, dry north-easterly — drives the feels-like down, while the foehn, a warm dry wind off the Alps, can lift it suddenly and dry the air sharply, which shortens the life of open buds. Winters hover around −1 to +5°C with occasional snow; summers are warm, +25 to +30°C and above +35°C in heatwaves. In winter we move bouquets in insulated bags; in summer we add cooling packs and moisture-retention gel at the stems.

We deliver roses across Zurich: the Old Town and Niederdorf, Seefeld, Enge, Wollishofen, Wiedikon, Aussersihl, Oerlikon, Hottingen, Fluntern, Witikon, Höngg, Altstetten, Schwamendingen, as well as the Zürichberg and the Goldküste (Zollikon, Küsnacht). Payment is in Swiss francs (CHF), by card online. For Valentine's Day and Mother's Day we recommend ordering a week ahead; for anniversaries, 3–5 days.

Care at home

On arrival, cut the stems at a 45° angle with a clean knife, remove any leaves below the waterline, and place them in a clean vase with cool water. Change the water every two days; add a Chrysal sachet or a pinch of sugar. Keep the bouquet away from radiators, direct sunlight, and ripening fruit — ethylene from apples and bananas shortens vase life by roughly a third.

Zurich flats are often well heated in winter — keep the vase in the coolest room. On foehn days, when the air turns especially dry, a light mist and topping up the water more often both help. On hot summer days, when the room exceeds +26°C, move the roses to the refrigerator overnight to add 2–3 days. Roses suit almost any occasion: message our manager and we'll help match the variety, colour, and stem count to the task and budget.