Buying flowers in Kaunas in the evening or last minute

If you need flowers in Kaunas in the evening, after work, on the way to a celebration or because you have just remembered a birthday, you can still buy them late. Gitanos gėlės, for example, is inside the Šilas grocery store at A. Baranausko g. 26 in Gričiupis and is open every day until 23:00, weekends included. To get a decent bouquet in a hurry, know three things before you walk in: how much time you have, how much you want to spend and who the flowers are for.

Three questions before you go

How much time do you have

If you only have a few minutes, keep it simple: a few stems of one kind, such as roses, or a small bouquet from what is available at that moment. With more time, the florist can tie a bouquet to your wishes. That takes a little while, especially for a larger bouquet, so leave yourself some margin.

How much do you want to spend

Decide on a sum before you arrive and say it straight away. The florist then picks flowers to fit your budget, and you do not have to guess at prices.

Who is it for

A mother, a colleague, hosts who have invited you over, or a partner each call for a different bouquet. One sentence is enough, for example "a milestone birthday, a colleague, she likes soft colours" or "a date, something small but pretty". From that the florist knows the size, colours and mood you need.

How to get a good bouquet quickly

1. Say the occasion and the budget. Flowers for a birthday, a thank-you, an apology or a date are chosen differently.
2. Ask what is freshest today. Seasonal flowers are usually plentiful and fresh, so for the same money a bouquet made from them often looks fuller.
3. Do not fix on one particular flower. A colour or a mood gives the florist more to work with than a single variety. If you want specific flowers, pre-order.
4. Name one or two colours. For example "soft pink and white" or "warm autumn colours". That is enough for the bouquet to look considered.
5. Say how you are travelling and when you will hand it over. This decides how the bouquet should be wrapped, especially in the cold months.

A wrapped bouquet or flowers for a vase

Think about where the flowers will end up after you hand them over, and choose accordingly.

A tied and wrapped bouquet is ready to give: the stems are arranged in a spiral, cut to the same length and wrapped in paper. The hosts only have to remove the paper and put it into a vase, which is considerate when the house is full of guests.

A few stems in simple wrapping, such as three or five roses, work better when you are giving flowers at home to someone close. They can arrange them in a vase the way they like.

A few practical points:

• A large bouquet needs a large vase, and not everyone has one. If in doubt, choose something more compact.
• Some bouquets are tied with a small water bag around the stems. They then stay fresh for a few hours without a vase, for example on a restaurant table.
• If the hosts may not have time for flowers, consider a flower box or a potted plant: neither needs a vase.

What to expect for different budgets

Prices depend on the flowers, their size and the season, so these are only rough guides.

• One rose or a few. Roses are sold by the stem, from 2,50 € each. A single long-stemmed rose is a perfectly good gift for a date or as a small gesture, three roses are one of the most popular romantic gifts, and five or seven already make a small bouquet. Choose an odd number: in Lithuania an even number of flowers is linked with mourning.
• A small bouquet, from 15 €. A neat mixed bouquet of seasonal flowers. It suits a colleague, a friend, hosts when you are visiting, or a thank-you.
• A larger bouquet. A bigger budget means more stems, larger flowers, or roses combined with other flowers. This suits a milestone birthday, an anniversary or any occasion you want to mark properly.

Order during the day, collect in the evening

If you know you will be short of time in the evening, order the bouquet during the day, by SMS or on the website. When you arrive it is ready, and all that is left is to pay and take it.

In your order, include:

• when you will come, for example "around 19:30";
• the occasion and who the bouquet is for;
• how much you want to spend;
• colours or flowers you would like, and any you would rather avoid;
• your name.

Keeping flowers fresh until the event

If the event starts later than you buy the flowers, a few simple habits keep them fresh.

• Buy as close to the handover as you can. The less time flowers spend in paper without water, the better.
• Do not leave flowers in the car. In summer a parked car heats up quickly, and in winter it cools down just as fast. Flowers suffer either way.
• Keep them cool. Away from radiators, direct sun and fruit. Ripe fruit gives off ethylene, a gas that makes flowers fade faster.
• If they have to wait several hours, put them in water. Take off the paper, cut the stems at an angle by a centimetre or two, and wrap the bouquet again before you leave.
• Carry the bouquet upright, flowers at the top, not squashed in a bag or under your arm.
• In the cold months ask for the bouquet to be wrapped in several layers of paper, and do not unwrap it on the way.

In a restaurant or café, ask the staff for a vase or a jug of water.

Where to buy flowers in Kaunas in the evening

Gitanos gėlės is a flower stand inside the Šilas grocery store at A. Baranausko g. 26, Kaunas, in the Gričiupis district. It is open every day 8:00–23:00, weekends included, and there is a car park in front of the store, so it is easy to stop on the way by car. A bouquet can be tied while you wait, or you can pre-order it by SMS on +370 656 38880 or on gitanosgeles.lt and collect it ready. You pay when you pick it up.