What If Nobody Is Home When Your Flowers Arrive?

If your flowers arrive and nobody is home, they are not abandoned on the doormat. Our courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arriving, and if nobody is there, we agree with you either a second delivery the same day or handing the bouquet to a neighbour or concierge, always with your consent. You stay in control of the decision, even if you are thousands of kilometres away.

I know the feeling behind this search: you are ordering from another country, you cannot ring your mum to check she is in without spoiling the surprise, and you picture a beautiful bouquet wilting outside a locked door. Let me walk you through how a delivery actually unfolds, what you can decide in advance, and the small habits that make the 'not home' problem almost disappear.

A Delivery Minute by Minute

Once your order is confirmed, the bouquet is made, packed for the weather and handed to the courier. About 15 minutes before arrival, the courier calls the recipient. This call does two jobs: it checks that someone is home, and it lets the courier ask for an entrance code or directions. The courier does not say who the flowers are from, because delivery is anonymous by default.

If the recipient answers and says they are out, there is usually an easy fix: they name a time they will be back, or a neighbour who can take the flowers, and we confirm it with you. If the phone rings out, the courier still goes to the address, tries the intercom and the door, and then reports back.

At that point you get a message or a call from us. You choose: try again later the same day, or leave the bouquet with a neighbour or the concierge. Nothing happens to your flowers without your agreement, and that is exactly why it helps to keep your phone or WhatsApp to hand during the delivery window.

Second Delivery or Neighbour: Which to Choose

A second delivery the same day is the best option when the recipient is simply at work or at the shops. The flowers stay in water and in a comfortable temperature until the new time, and the person receives them in their own hands, which is half the pleasure. If you know their usual return time, suggest an evening slot.

Leaving the bouquet with a neighbour works well in buildings where people know each other, which is still common among older residents in Russian apartment blocks. Give a specific flat number if you know a friendly neighbour; a random door is less reliable. Many newer buildings in Moscow, St Petersburg and other big cities have a concierge desk at the entrance, which is a safe choice as long as the bouquet is kept indoors and away from the door.

Avoid asking for flowers to be left on a landing or in a mailbox area. In winter a stairwell can be close to freezing, and petals damaged by frost turn dark within hours. In summer a stuffy hallway dehydrates soft flowers just as quickly.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Planning the Time So Someone Is Home

The surest way to avoid a missed delivery is to pick the right time. Instead of express delivery, which arrives 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed in large cities, choose one of the time windows: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. Weekday evenings and weekend mornings are the safest bets for people who work.

For a fixed moment, such as a birthday breakfast or a toast at a family dinner, book an exact time, plus or minus 30 minutes. You can also pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead, which is helpful when you are in a different time zone. Russia spans eleven of them, so double-check the local time for the recipient's city before choosing the slot.

Consider the calendar too. During the long New Year break in early January and the May holidays, many families leave for the dacha or travel. If you are sending flowers then, it is worth confirming plans quietly through a relative first.

Details That Help the Courier Get It Right

Give the recipient's mobile number, not a home landline, and if they are elderly and tend to ignore unknown numbers, add a second contact, such as a sibling or a neighbour. Write the full address with building, entrance, floor, flat and door code. In large Russian housing estates, finding the right entrance can take longer than the drive itself; our piece on what couriers do when an address is hard to find shows why these details matter.

Use the comment field for a plan B. Short, clear notes work best: 'if not home, call me before leaving with a neighbour' or 'concierge on the ground floor can accept'. If the delivery is to an office, add the company name and the hours reception is staffed.

If you have any doubt about the address or the best time, message a manager on WhatsApp before or after you order. They can help you choose a bouquet, agree the time, the address and the card text, and send you a photo of the bouquet before delivery.

Caring for Flowers That Arrived Late

Even when the plan changes and the bouquet waits a few hours, it can look perfect the next day with a little care. As soon as the flowers are in, trim each stem by 2-3 cm at a sharp angle, remove leaves that would sit in water, and place the bouquet in a clean vase with cool, fresh water.

If roses look slightly soft at the neck, wrap the heads in paper to support them and let them drink for two or three hours before arranging. Tulips that have bent can be straightened the same way, standing upright in cold water. Most flowers recover fully once they have had a long drink.

Afterwards, change the water every day or two, keep the vase away from radiators and fruit, and the bouquet should last as long as one that arrived on the first try. You can tell the recipient this yourself in the free card that goes with the flowers.

Ordering Flowers to Russia With Turboflora

We deliver flowers across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. Pick a bouquet in the Bouquets catalogue, choose express delivery, a time window, an exact time or a date up to 30 days ahead, and pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay.

The details of timing and payment are on the Delivery and payment page. For more scenarios when the recipient may be away, read Sending Flowers When the Recipient Is Not Home.