Christmas Flowers: What to Send in Canada, and When to Order

Christmas flowers have a harder job than most. They go into dry, heated houses, they sit near fireplaces and drafty front doors, and they are often meant to last through a week of visitors rather than a single dinner. What looks good in a photo is not always what is still standing on December 27.

This guide covers what we see last longest, who each kind of arrangement suits, and the one date that matters most: when to order so it arrives before Christmas. Everything below can be delivered anywhere in Canada through our Christmas collection, arranged and hand-delivered by a local florist near the person you are sending to.

Order by December 22

The single most useful thing to know: order by December 22 for delivery before Christmas. Local florists book their Christmas Eve routes early, and the last few days before the holiday are the busiest of their year after Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

Outside the holiday rush, same-day delivery works if you order by 1:00 PM in the recipient's local time, Monday to Saturday. There is no Sunday delivery. Delivery is a flat $19.99 anywhere in the country, from St. John's to Victoria to Whitehorse, so a gift for family three provinces away costs the same to send as one across town.

If you are sending for a specific party or dinner, aim for the day before. Flowers that arrive a day early have time to open, and the host is not taking a delivery while the oven timer is going.

The Christmas flowers that last longest indoors

In a warm Canadian house in December, the arrangements that hold up best are built on sturdy stems and greenery rather than delicate blooms. In our experience these are the workhorses:

• Poinsettias are a living plant, not cut flowers, so with a bright spot and the occasional drink they last well past New Year's. Keep them away from cold windows and heat vents. More on care in our poinsettia guide.
• Carnations are the quiet champion of winter bouquets. They regularly last two weeks in fresh water and come in the deep reds and crisp whites that read as Christmas.
• Red roses mixed with evergreens look classic, but roses alone are the shortest-lived of the group. Paired with cedar, pine or eucalyptus, the arrangement still looks full after the roses pass their best.
• Evergreen centerpieces with pine, cedar and pinecones carry the scent of the season and keep their shape for a week or more. Our centerpieces are built low enough to talk over at dinner.

What to send, by who it's for

A holiday host. A centerpiece is the most useful thing you can send a host: it solves their table. Send it the day before the dinner rather than bringing a bouquet to the door, which leaves the host hunting for a vase while greeting guests.

Parents and grandparents you won't see this year. A basket or potted arrangement is easier to look after than cut flowers, and a poinsettia in particular can sit in a window for weeks. Pick something they won't have to rearrange or top up every day.

An office or front desk. A larger basket arrangement reads well in a lobby and doesn't need a vase. Plants also survive a long weekend with nobody watering them better than cut flowers do.

Someone who is grieving this Christmas. The first holiday after a loss is often the hardest. White arrangements, a white poinsettia or a simple green plant feel gentler than bright red and gold, and a short card that names the person they lost means a great deal.

Poinsettia delivery: what to expect

Poinsettias are tropical and dislike cold, so a florist delivering in a Canadian December will wrap them for the trip from the van to the door. Unwrap the plant as soon as it arrives, set it somewhere bright but out of direct heat, and water when the top of the soil feels dry. Overwatering kills more poinsettias than anything else.

The coloured "petals" are actually bracts, modified leaves. The tiny yellow buds in the centre are the real flowers, and a plant whose buds are still tight will look good for longer. Poinsettias are mildly irritating to cats and dogs if chewed rather than seriously toxic, but it is still kindest to keep them out of reach of a curious pet.

What Christmas flowers cost

Our Christmas arrangements currently run from about $95 to $120, plus the flat $19.99 delivery. Baskets and potted arrangements sit at the lower end; larger centerpieces with candles and premium greenery at the top. If you want to spend less, our flowers under $60 include smaller seasonal pieces that still look generous on a side table.

Prices are in Canadian dollars. Because each order is made by a local florist, a stem may occasionally be swapped for one of similar value and style when a shop runs short, which is common in the busiest week of December. The look and colours of the arrangement stay the same.

Keeping cut Christmas flowers fresh

Most of what shortens a holiday bouquet's life is heat. Keep the vase away from the fireplace, radiators and the top of the TV, and top up the water every day: a warm room drinks a vase dry fast. Trim a centimetre off the stems every couple of days and remove any leaves sitting below the waterline.

Moving the arrangement to a cooler room overnight, a front hall or a spare bedroom, can add days. Our guide on how long flowers last goes through each flower in more detail.