“In season,” for a cut flower, doesn't quite mean what it means for a tomato. A flower can be in season here, somewhere else, or in a greenhouse — and the three situations give you very different bouquets. Here's how to tell them apart, and why your February bouquet will never look like your July one.
What “in season” means for a cut flower
A flower is in season when it blooms naturally, in the ground, at the moment you buy it. It grew at its own pace, with nothing forcing it. The result: sturdier stems, often more fragrance, and generally better vase life.
But in a flower shop, three realities overlap:
- Local blooms — what actually grows in Québec, outdoors, from late May to early October depending on the year.
- Greenhouse growing — flowers produced year-round in controlled conditions. February tulips are the most common example.
- Imports — most cut flowers sold in North America in winter come from South America or pass through the Dutch auctions.
None of these three is better in itself. They simply answer different constraints.
The calendar, season by season
Winter
The season that leans hardest on imports. Roses, carnations, alstroemerias and chrysanthemums lead the way because they travel well. Tulips and hyacinths show up from January, forced in greenhouses — and their return is the first sign that winter is running out of steam.
Spring
The most generous season for variety. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, ranunculus, anemones and lilac follow one another quickly. It's also the most volatile season: a heat wave or a late spring can shift a bloom by two weeks.
Summer
Peonies open the ball in June — their window is short, often three to four weeks. Then come sunflowers, dahlias, zinnias, gladioli and hydrangeas. This is when local flowers take up the most room in bouquets.
Fall
Dahlias carry on until the first frost. Chrysanthemums, asters and celosia take over, with warmer palettes: ochre, burgundy, rust. Branches and grasses find their way into arrangements.
Why availability changes from one week to the next
A florist doesn't work from a fixed catalogue. What arrives in the morning depends on the weather at the grower's, the volumes available at the market, transport, and the week's demand. A Mother's Day or a Valentine's Day can dry up a variety for several days.
That's why a bouquet photographed online is an intention, not a contract on every stem. A serious shop will tell you it honours the palette, the style and the value — not necessarily the exact flower.
Why buying with the day's delivery is worth it
Beyond the talk, there are three concrete advantages:
- Vase life. A flower picked at maturity and barely transported lasts longer in the vase.
- Price. An abundant variety costs less than a rare out-of-season one, at equal quality.
- Surprise. A bouquet composed from the day's delivery has a look the catalogue can't reproduce.
The most useful habit: ask for the florist's choice
That's the phrase we use in the shop when you let the florist compose with the best of what came in that morning. You give the occasion, a palette, a budget — and leave the rest open.
In practice it often gives you a more interesting bouquet than the same amount spent on an imposed variety, because the florist is working with what's at its peak rather than with what's left.
If you absolutely want a specific flower for a specific date, the best thing is to call a few days ahead. That leaves time to order it.
In short
The word “season” covers three distinct supply chains, and there's no shame in a January rose coming from far away. What matters is knowing what you're buying — and leaving a little room for what the week brings.