Allwoods has been sending cut carnations by mail order, all across the country since 1915. Since then, ownership has changed, varieties have changed and pricing has changed yet the method has remained the same. Over the last 102 years these beautiful blooms have been individually hand picked and packed with care and we are proud to say that we aim to keep our traditional method the same for years to come.
To the left is an image from 1965 of two flowers boxes just about ready to be sent out. The boxes themselves were specially made from wood and then lined with tissue paper.
Thin pieces of wood, also known as bridges, were used to secure the blooms from being moved around too much when in transit. The tissue paper was then folder over and the box was sealed.
To the right is an image of a member of staff hand packing a flower order. This same method of packing is still used today, once all the flower orders were packed up, overseas orders were then taken to Croydon Airport where they would be flown to countries such as America, Holland and China. For UK orders, the boxes were taken to Wivelsfield station and dispatched around the country by train.
Today we use cardboard boxes and bridges instead of wood to reduce the weight of the package, this has the added bonus that it can be easily recycled by the recipient.
Our standard of carnation used as a cut flower is of the highest grade, and we leave the stems as long as possible for you to arrange in your chosen vase.
Royal Mail then collect directly from our flower packing shed and all orders are sent to the Gatwick sorting office to be dispatched around the UK. Unfortunately we no longer send flowers abroad.
So although a few things may have changed over the years, we still pride ourselves on the same reliable, high quality service today. Read all about the fascinating history of Allwoods in our brochure A Potted History which is available to buy.
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