How to care for flowers
You have treated yourself or have been lucky enough to receive some beautiful flowers. Of course, you want your flowers last. Well today I would like to share my top tips for keeping your flowers fresh. These are tried and tested key information on how to care for flowers and keep your blooms looking beautiful for longer. Some tips you may already know, some may be new. Either way, I hope you find them useful in keeping your cut flowers alive for longer.
Gift bouquets ready to be delivered.
REMOVE THE PACKAGING
You have been lucky enough to receive a beautiful bouquet, how wonderful. The first advice I am giving in how to care for your flowers is to remove the packaging. Gift bouquets are usually delivered in an aqua pack, this is a cellophane wrap around the bottom of the stems, ensuring they can drink whilst in transit. (I prefer to use a glass jam jar.) Neither of these things are a vase. The flowers will need to go into a fresh vase of water sooner rather than later. So, remove the paper, snip the band holding the flowers together and pop the flowers in a vase big enough for the flowers. Ensuring that the flowers have space to breathe.
Gift bouquet of Peonies, Roses, Delphinium and Alchemella Mollis.
USE A SUITABLE CLEAN VASE
This point is often forgotten in how to care for your flower tips. You need to ensure the vase is suitable for your flowers. Different vases work for different flowers. You don’t want to put tall stemmed flowers in a squat fishbowl. You especially don’t want to be squeezing the stems into a narrow shape vase. On the other hand, if the mouth of your vase is too wide the arrangement will not have any form or shape. So choose wisely. It’s super important to thoroughly clean your vase before putting your flowers in. You can just use some household bleach and washing up liquid to give it a good scrub. Then use some hot water to wash away any residue. This process will stop kill any bacteria forming in the vase. Bacteria that are not removed will affect the longevity of the flowers by slowly deteriorating the quality of the fresh flowers.
Gift bouquets ready for delivery.
CONDITION YOUR FLOWERS
I believe the most common mistake people make when arranging flowers is leaving the bottom leaves on the stem, those which sit under the water line. Any plant leaves and flowers you leave in the vase water will rot quickly. This will then spread bacteria in the water that will kill your flowers before their time. So, you must remove all the lower leaves and help keep the water clear and clean for longer. Florists call this process conditioning, this is a great tip for how to care for flowers. We do this every time we have flowers.
CUT THE STEMS
Another step of conditioning your flowers is cutting the stem. It is best to cut the flowers diagonally and immediately place them in fresh water. I recommend that you do this at home when you receive flowers. By snipping the ends at an angle this provides more surface area for the stem to uptake water which is crucial. This also stops the stems sitting flat at the bottom of the vase, again allowing the flower to drink more easily. Ideally you should recut the stems every few days. This will allow fresh water to penetrate the stem again. You should also use fresh cold water for your flowers. However, a good tip is if you are trying to get your flowers to open, substitute the cold water for warm water. The warm temperature will help facilitate the opening of the bloom, although this will lead to a shorter lifespan.
My Valentine’s seasonal bouquet for 2021
BE MINDFUL WHERE YOU PLACE THE VASE
Your flowers will last longer if they are away from direct sunlight, warmth or draughts. Please do not place your flowers in front of a sunny window, or by the fire or a radiator. You need to keep them cool. Any excess heat will mean the flowers will release more water than they transpire and this will shorten their lifespan. Also do not place your bouquet next to the fruit bowl; fruit can release ethylene gas which will poison the flowers. Again, not conducive to long lasting blooms.
Example of flower jam jar gift by Petal Power
CHANGE THE VASE WATER
The water in your vase needs to be changed every 2-3 days, more often if it’s a really hot day. Most people do not do this, and I know it’s a pain but this is the number one way to increase the longevity of your case life. Bacteria will form at the base of the flower stems and in the water, so by freshening up the water you are stopping this from happening. Throw away the old water, rinse the vase, refill and cut your stems again.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my how to care for flowers tips. Let me know if you have learnt something new by reading this.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The face behind Petal Power
Hi! I'm Anne-Marie, Petal Power is me. I run my event floristry business out of Creigiau, Cardiff.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. Stay tuned for more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne-Marie the face of Petal Power
Hi! I'm Anne-Marie, Petal Power is me!
I run my weddings and event floristry business out of my studio in Creigiau, Cardiff, South Wales.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog.
If you want even more prettiness take a look back at my page. You will find information on the latest beautiful weddings I have been lucky enough to be a part of.
Also, you can keep up to date with essential advice, craft ideas, my favourite seasonal wedding flowers and more.
You can find out more about me and my work here.
Anne-Marie xoxo
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