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April 10th 2024

International Seed Shipping Update

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Written by
Floret

This spring the team and I worked incredibly hard to figure out all of the logistics required to ship Floret Original seeds abroad. 

We spent countless hours doing research, talking to other seed companies, meeting with our local USDA inspector, and working with different shipping carriers and international customs agents around the world. We’ve learned so much about international shipping!

Through the process, we also sent nearly 30 test shipments of seed to seven different countries, all of which included the necessary paperwork and phytosanitary certificates, and then carefully tracked each package along its journey. 

While all of the shipments eventually made it to their destination, what we discovered was that no two orders were handled in the exact same way.

There were so many variables that we encountered that didn’t match our research, such as requests for more paperwork (even though each order had the necessary documents attached to their boxes), duties and taxes that were charged to recipients (that didn’t match the percentages outlined by their country), additional application fees (though orders had all of the necessary prepaid permits and paperwork), and physical inspections before the packages were released. 

When we started looking into the feasibility of offering international shipping, we knew that it would be a very complicated puzzle to figure out. 

Despite our best efforts and the incredible amount of energy our amazing team has poured into this project, I still don’t feel like we have cracked the code on international shipping and can offer this special service at this time. Our team is just too small and the process is too labor intensive to offer on a larger scale. 

I can’t tell you how disappointed I am to not be able to share the Floret Originals with everyone who wants to grow them. Hopefully someday in the future, we will be able to send these special seeds to you. 


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12 Comments

  1. Britt on

    Its so hard to watch all this beauty and not beeing able to grow them my self 😭

    Reply
  2. Lesley on

    Just ordered some of your Zinnia seeds in Australia, appreciate you for working hard to make them available,❤️ as so often we can’t access in Australia due to all the ( understandable) customs requirements.

    I fell in love with Zinnias when I bought an orange variety at the end of last summer from my local florist, I’ve never seen them available before and was just entranced, they are gorgeous flowers! I made lots of paintings of them, they lasted 3 weeks in a vase( even the setting flowers are beautiful. I saved the seeds, probably inexpertly, and have been impatiently waiting for spring to arrive here so I can start planting. I am SO excited to give your beautiful pastel colour mixes a try too, I have the metallic selection, love the thought of the turquoise undertones.
    Thank you for sharing and for bringing all these extra choices, can’t wait for more selections to arrive.

    Reply
  3. Trish Stevenson on

    Hi. I have just returned to New Zealand from America with 11 packets of Floret Dahlia and Zinnia seeds.
    So excited.
    This is how I got them in.
    I ordered the seeds and sent them to a New York address of a friend.
    Picked the seeds up from them.
    Then checked the botanical name was on the back Dahlia variabilis and Zinnia Elegans.
    The packets of Dahlia seeds had Dahlia species printed as the botanical name, I wrote Dahlia variabilus on the packet as well.
    That’s the name I had read on the NZ Customs website they wanted. And they can be pedantic with those kind of things!
    Then declared the seeds coming back into NZ.
    Customs had a good look at the seeds opening each packet, but carefully resealed them and passed them.
    Phew
    This can be done by mail from someone in USA or Canada to NZ, just get them to write the botanical name on the back of each packet and declare them.
    Now as its winter here I have to be patient and wait 4 months to get them growing.

    Reply
  4. Renate Witteman on

    @Karen. Can you sent me an email renatewitteman@gmail.com. I ordered seeds and sent it to a myus adress. They cannot sent it to my home in the Netherlands. I asked them to send it back to Floret Flower Farm. I hope they will, it was around 100 dollar😌. Maybe Floret wants to send it to you and then you try to send it to me?
    Very thankfull!!

    Reply
  5. Stéphanie on

    Dear Karen
    I admire much your work and admire it from afar, and would love to get a few seeds. With a friendly adress in Canada, it would be possible that my friend who will be travelling to Europe would be allowed to bring in the few packets? Should I ask for a sort of certificate when ordering ?
    Many thanks for the beauty of your flowers 🌸

    Reply
  6. Antoine on

    Hello Karen, I am interested in your intermediary proposal. I am from Belgium. Have a nice day and look forward to hearing from you.

    Reply
  7. Julia on

    I would really like to buy Celosa , Dahlia and Zinnia seeds aswell. Unfortunatly I dont have an adress to send it to in the USA. I live in The Netherlands. A private adress would help maybe.

    I hope for the people of Floret Farms that they find an easy and affordable way to get the seeds of these beautiful plants to international buyers in the near future. I think there is a lot of interest abroad.

    I do love watching your YouTube video’s and reading your books. Keep up the great work! Hope to sow some of your seeds in the future.

    Reply
  8. Ernesta on

    Karen, how can I contact you? I would be very grateful if I could buy some seeds through you. Thank you very much

    Reply
  9. Karen on

    Louise Svensson, I’m in USA and can help if you want to contact me. Usually shipping from private party like myself is easier then commercial shipping.

    Reply
  10. Louise Svensson on

    Hello! If i would order som zinnia seeds anyway (Tho i know they may not be delivered) would you send them? Or is it a big no? Is there any risk for you or are the risk that the seeds may not be delivered? I really want them! 😂

    Reply
    • BriAnn, Team Floret on

      Unfortunately, we’re not able to send seeds internationally, however, if you know someone in the U.S. or Canada that could get them to you somehow that may be an option.

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