Every April we have the same conversation. Somebody has chosen a colour scheme built on hydrangeas for a noon function on an open terrace, and we have to explain what will happen by one o’clock.
Here is the honest version, for both décor and bouquets.
Flowers that hold up in Pune heat
Marigold. The most heat-tolerant flower we work with, by a distance. It is traditional rather than fashionable, but there is a reason it is what gets used for outdoor Indian functions.
Chrysanthemum. Sturdy, widely available, holds shape for days.
Carnation. Reliable through an afternoon indoors, and acceptable outdoors in shade.
Anthurium. Waxy, almost architectural, and unbothered by heat.
Orchid (dendrobium). Tougher than it looks and holds for several days.
Rose. Depends entirely on grade. Good Indian roses hold; cheap ones open fully and drop within hours in heat.
Flowers that will not make it
Hydrangea. Collapses. It is a thirsty flower with a large surface area and it wilts visibly within an hour or two of direct Pune sun.
Tulip. Imported, cold-chain, and heat-sensitive. Fine for an air-conditioned indoor evening; not for a terrace in May.
Lily. Opens too fast in heat and bruises easily, though it is fine indoors.
Gerbera. Droops at the neck, quickly. Indoors with support it is fine; outdoors it hangs its head.
Baby’s breath (gypsophila). Dries out and goes papery. It is a filler, so this matters less, but it will not look fresh by evening.
What we do about it
For an outdoor function in April or May we will usually propose one of three things:
- Change the palette to heat-tolerant varieties in the same colours — most colour schemes can be built from marigold, chrysanthemum, carnation and rose without anybody noticing the substitution.
- Mix the build — fresh flowers on the sightlines where people look closely, with fabric and foliage carrying the volume.
- Refresh mid-function for a long event, which costs more but means the setup looks the same at six as it did at eleven.
We will tell you which we are proposing and why. What we will not do is build a hydrangea arch for a noon terrace function and let you find out at lunchtime.
Making a bouquet last once it arrives
If somebody sends you flowers through us in summer:
- Recut the stems at an angle, about an inch off, before they go in water
- Change the water daily — in Pune heat, bacteria in warm water is what actually kills cut flowers, not the heat itself
- Keep them out of direct sun and away from a fan or AC vent blowing on them
- Keep them away from fruit — ripening fruit releases ethylene, which ages flowers fast
Done properly, four to seven days is realistic depending on variety. Marigold and chrysanthemum go longer; lilies and gerberas go shorter.
Why we substitute, and say so
Flower markets in Pune change every morning with the season, the weather and demand. A variety available in August may simply not be in the market in December, and nobody can promise otherwise weeks in advance.
Our policy is that an unavailable bloom is replaced with one of equal or higher value in the same colour family, and that you are told before the work is built or the bouquet sent — with a photograph, for bouquets.
That is not a disclaimer. It is how every florist works, and we would rather write it down than surprise somebody.
Planning a summer function? See our floral and stage decoration, or browse bouquets for something going out today.