best way to transport flowers to shows

[FrazerHenderson]

I'd be interested to know of the experience of others in transporting cut flowers of daffodils & tulips to shows: is it better to transport them dry or in water, particularly over, say, 1.5- 2 hr journeys?

[annew]

I haven't done it myself, but exhibitors usually pack them 'dry', as far as I know, padded round with something like cotton wool to keep the flowers from touching.

[David Shaw]

When we used to do the local daffy shows (shameful admission) we, and the other exhibitors, took cratefulls of bottles with water in them and the stems of the daffs in the water.

[Lesley Cox]

Especially for a two hour journey I'd be putting the bases of the stems in some water, even just a couple of centimetres, then stuffing loosely with tissues to keep the flowers upright and to contain the water. Some flowers can wilt incredibly quickly, even in minutes, if left dry.

[arillady]

When I took aril iris blooms to Renmark which is a couple of hours driving away ( well buds that were just about to open) I would wrap the flower with paper towel to keep it from opening properly and to protect them - then I would either put them in a bottle of water or when I sent them by bus I put wet tissues around the base with a covering of gladwrap to keep them damp plus the paper towel hoods. When David opened them they would miraculously open up before their eyes. I also used this method when I showed at our local show a couple of years ago.

[Lesley Cox]

Depends on the flowers being transported but I know of daffodil and rhodo growers who have wide, shallow metal trays in which they put a couple of cms of water and suspend over these, sheets with holes in. The bloom is inserted into a hole and the stem goes into the water while the flower sits safe on top of the sheet.

[arilnut]

Here is my transport system for iris shows

John B

[FrazerHenderson]

Thanks to all for advice -I'm going to try all the proposed methods and then see which suits best.

Thanks again