How to Send Flowers: Practical Guide from Turboflora

To send flowers, you choose a bouquet, give the delivery address and the recipient's phone number, add a card message and pick a delivery time; we then arrange the bouquet and a courier hands it over. If the person lives in Russia, you can do all of this online with Turboflora from abroad, and we deliver the flowers ourselves, with express delivery in large cities 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed.

The mechanics are simple. What makes a bouquet memorable is the thinking behind it: flowers that suit the person, a message that sounds like you, and an arrival time that fits their day. Here is how we approach each of those decisions.

Start with the person, not the flowers

Before you open any catalogue, picture the recipient's home and habits. Someone in a small city flat will struggle with an armful of long-stemmed roses and no vase tall enough; a compact, dense bouquet will make them happier. A person who loves their garden often prefers seasonal, loose, slightly wild arrangements over formal ones. Someone with a busy office job may appreciate flowers delivered to work, where colleagues will see them.

Check for practical obstacles. Strongly scented flowers such as lilies and hyacinths can overwhelm a small room or bother someone with hay fever. Lilies are also dangerous to cats, so if the recipient has one, choose roses, chrysanthemums, alstroemeria or tulips instead. For hospital wards, ask first: many restrict flowers, and a delivery to the home after discharge may be kinder.

Then match the mood to the occasion. Birthdays and anniversaries invite colour and generosity. Thank-you flowers work best when they are elegant rather than huge, so they feel like gratitude, not a bill being settled. Sympathy flowers should be calm: white, cream and soft green, with nothing that looks festive.

Flower meanings worth knowing before you send

Red roses say romantic love almost everywhere, which makes them perfect for a husband, wife or sweetheart and awkward for a colleague. Pink and peach roses are warmer and safer for friends and family. White flowers suggest purity and new beginnings, which is why they suit weddings and newborns, but in several cultures they are also linked with mourning, so pair them with greenery or a soft colour for celebrations.

If you are sending to Russia, a few Russian customs matter. Loose stems for a celebration should be an odd number; even numbers are for funerals. Older Russians may read yellow flowers as a sign of parting, and red carnations are strongly tied to Victory Day and memorials. Tulips and mimosa are the classic flowers of March 8, International Women's Day, and New Year bouquets often include fir branches and berries; our article on Russian New Year flowers explains that tradition.

For a new baby, soft pastels and a modest size are the rule, because new parents have little free space and a lot on their minds. We wrote a separate guide on flowers for a new baby in Russia, including the tradition of flowers at hospital discharge.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$12

Bouquet of 3 red gerberas

$20

Bouquet of 3 white matthiola

$22

Bouquet of 3 pink matthiola

$22

Writing a card message that sounds like you

The card is often what people keep after the flowers fade. With us it is free, so there is no reason to send a bouquet without one. Aim for two or three sentences: name the occasion, say one specific thing, and sign off. For example: "Happy birthday, Mum. I wish I could be at the table with you tonight. All my love, Anna." One real detail beats a paragraph of general wishes.

For sympathy, keep it simple and avoid explaining grief: "Thinking of you and your family. With love, David" is enough. For thanks, say what you are thankful for. For romance, write the way you talk, not the way greeting cards do.

Remember that delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. If you want the recipient to know the flowers are from you, sign the card. If you are writing to an older relative in Russia, a message in Russian, even a short one, usually means a great deal.

Choosing when the flowers arrive

Timing changes how a bouquet feels. Flowers that arrive in the morning on a birthday colour the whole day; flowers that arrive in the evening feel like a quiet ending to it. Think about where the person will actually be and in which time zone: Russia alone spans eleven of them.

With Turboflora you can choose express delivery in large cities, 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed; an exact time, give or take 30 minutes; one of four time windows (09-12, 12-15, 15-18, 18-21); or a pre-order 1-30 days ahead. For anything with a fixed date, pre-ordering a few days early is the stress-free option, especially around March 8, September 1 and New Year, when demand peaks.

The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arriving. If the recipient is out, we agree a second delivery the same day, or hand the bouquet to a neighbour or concierge with your consent, so the flowers still reach them fresh.

Sending flowers to Russia from abroad

For people living outside Russia, sending flowers home is often the most direct way to be present at a family celebration. The process is the same as anywhere: choose a bouquet in our catalogue, enter the address in Russian order (city, street, building, apartment, plus entrance and intercom code if relevant) and a Russian mobile number for the courier's call.

City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming your order. Payment is online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay; the details are on our delivery and payment page.

If you would like help choosing, or want to agree the time, address and card text with a person, write to our manager on WhatsApp. They can also send you a photo of the bouquet before delivery, which matters when you cannot be there to see it yourself.

Helping the bouquet last

A well-made bouquet should look good for a week or more if it is treated properly. Suggest to the recipient that they trim each stem by about two centimetres at an angle with a sharp knife, strip any leaves that would sit below the water, and use a clean vase filled with cool water.

Changing the water every two days and re-trimming the stems slightly each time keeps them drinking. Keep the vase away from radiators, direct sun and fruit bowls: ripening fruit releases ethylene, which makes flowers age faster. Remove any wilting stem straight away so it does not shorten the life of the rest.

Different flowers ask for slightly different care. Tulips keep growing in the vase and bend towards the light, so turning the vase daily keeps them upright. Roses with drooping heads often recover if the stems are re-cut and the whole flower is laid in cool water for an hour. Chrysanthemums and alstroemeria are the long-distance runners and can last two weeks with fresh water.