Vent: The day a delivery van full of peonies got a flat tire in the rain

Last Tuesday, my main supplier's van broke down two blocks from my shop with my entire Mother's Day peony order inside. It was pouring, and the driver called me in a panic because the flowers were just sitting there getting wet. I ended up running down the street with a bunch of buckets and trash bags to make a makeshift shelter on the sidewalk. We got them inside, but the whole thing took about 45 minutes and I was soaked. Anyone else ever have a delivery go this sideways right before a big holiday?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavinwells27d ago

That sounds like a total nightmare, honestly. What was the final damage count on the peonies after they got rained on? I'm picturing bruised petals and drooping stems, which is the last thing you need for Mother's Day. Did you have to discount a bunch of them, or were you able to salvage most of the order?

faith_king27d ago

Ugh, tell me about it, that rain was brutal. Honestly, we got really lucky and only lost about a quarter of the crop. The trick was getting them inside fast and letting them dry out completely before even thinking about arranging them. We had to discount the ones with spots, but most perked up after a few hours in a cool room. It was a close call for sure.

rileym9627d ago

Grab a stack of clean, dry towels the second you get them inside. You have to blot each stem and flower head dry, don't rub or you'll wreck the petals. Like @gavinwells said, the bruising is real, but if you dry them fast and keep them cold, a lot of them will bounce back. I lay everything out on tables with fans on low, and you'd be surprised how many straighten up after a few hours. The ones with obvious brown spots go straight to the discount bucket, but the rest usually make it.