LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Yes, but never with water in the box: carriers require perishables to be leak-proof, so flowers travel dry in a sturdy, ventilated box via the fastest affordable service, ideally mailed Monday through Wednesday so they don't sit in a depot over the weekend. Dried or pressed flowers are far simpler to send. One honest note first: LetterAgent mails letters only, so this is a general guide.
| Do | Don't | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Use a sturdy corrugated box with air holes | Don't use a thin gift box or a padded envelope | Crushed stems and no airflow kill flowers faster than transit time does |
| Wrap stems in damp (not wet) paper towel inside a sealed bag | Don't include a vase, water tube, or any loose liquid | Leaking liquid can get the parcel refused or destroyed under perishables rules |
| Mail Monday through Wednesday | Don't mail late in the week | A Thursday shipment can spend the weekend in a hot or cold depot |
| Mark the box "perishable" and "this side up" | Don't assume handlers will guess | Markings cost nothing and measurably improve how the box is treated |
Postal perishables rules in both the US and Canada center on one idea: nothing may leak. Flowers are fine; water is not. The standard florist trick is to wrap the cut stems in a damp paper towel, then seal that bundle in a plastic bag tied off above the wet part, so moisture reaches the stems but nothing can drip. Water tubes, vials, vases, and soaked floral foam that isn't fully sealed all violate the no-liquid rule. If the box feels damp on the outside when you hand it over, you've already failed the test.
Roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, and orchids are the hardy travelers of the flower world: they tolerate a day or two without water and bounce back once re-cut and placed in water. Delicate blooms like lilies with open pollen, sweet peas, and most garden-picked wildflowers bruise and fade quickly in a box. If you're sending something fragile, dried or preserved flowers remove the clock entirely: they ship like any other dry good and last for months on arrival.
For most people, ordering from a florist near the recipient beats mailing flowers yourself. Local florists deliver same-day or next-day, the flowers arrive in water in a proper arrangement, and the price usually compares well once you add up your box, packing, and express postage. Mailing flowers yourself makes sense when the sender grew them, for example from a garden, or when the variety isn't available where the recipient lives. Cross-border flower shipments add agricultural inspection rules, so keep it domestic unless you enjoy paperwork.
Live plants face stricter rules than cut flowers: some carriers restrict or prohibit them, and agricultural authorities in both countries care about pests and soil. Bare-root bulbs and seeds are generally easier than potted plants, and soil is the thing inspectors dislike most. Check the carrier's current live-plant rules before you pack anything with roots.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com