Fresh flower bouquet system

Abstract

The fresh flower bouquet system provides cost-effective production of fresh floral bouquets, forming bouquets with symmetrical spacing of individual stems and maintaining the flowers in water and a cut flower hydrating solution without the use of floral foam. The system includes a plastic or metal cap having a grid of holes defined therein, a plastic or glass vase or other container, and a tie-down system, e.g., an elastic or rubber band wrapped around the stems, for bundling the stems together in the container below the cap. When the closure or cap is snapped or threaded on to the container, a secured, self-contained floral bouquet having maximum shelf life because of continuous hydration is formed.

1 . A fresh flower bouquet system, comprising: 
 a generally cylindrical, plastic container adapted for holding water and having a depth adapted for supporting stems of a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, the container being approximately four inches in diameter by approximately eight inches in length to allow for sufficient water and nutrients for preserving the fresh flower bouquet to remain alive for a minimum of seven days, said container further defining an open mouth with external threads;    a rigid, plastic cap having a grid of identical circular holes defined therein adapted for passing the flower stems therethrough and maintaining the flowers in a fixed arrangement, said grid of identical circular holes being the only holes in said cap said cap including a downwardly depending cylindrical sidewall with internal threads configured to engage the external threads of said container open mouth, the cap being dimensioned to cover the open mouth and being removably attachable to the open mouth by rotation of the cap and engagement of said internal and external threads; and    a tie-down device comprising an elastic band adapted for bundling the stems of the flowers together below the cap, and for maintaining the stems bundled together to avoid damage to the flowers upon rotation of said cap when said internal and external threads are being engaged and disengaged.    
   
   
       2 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . A method of preparing a floral bouquet arrangement of flowers, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of fresh cut flowers having stems;    providing a generally cylindrical, plastic container adapted for holding water and for supporting the stems of a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, said container being approximately four inches in diameter by approximately eight inches in length to allow for sufficient water and nutrients for preserving the flower bouquet to remain alive for a minimum of seven days, said container having an open mouth with external threads:    providing a rigid, plastic cap with a grid of identical circular holes, said grid of identical circular holes being the only holes in said cap, said cap including a downwardly depending cylindrical sidewall with internal threads;    providing an elastic band;    filling the container with water and hydrating solution;    arranging the stems of the flowers in the grid of circular holes defined in the rigid cap;    tying the stems into a bundle in place below the cap with the elastic band; and    attaching the cap onto the container by rotatably engaging the internal threads of the downwardly depending cylindrical sidewall with the external threads of the container open mouth.