Bringing flowers home from your local florist can be a wonderful ritual. Unwrapping them while their fragrance fills the air, emptying the little packet of floral food into your vase, filling the vessel with lukewarm water, cutting off the bottom of the stems, and inserting them in a vase in a pleasing array and creating a beautiful bouquet of vivid colors and textures that brighten the room they are placed in, and, in turn, brightens your spirit.But what happens when yourflowers start to wilt too soon, lose petals and become discolored too ealry? Fresh flowers from your local florist should last at least 5 days, and I have seen certain species that lasted up to a month! So how can you get the most out of your fresh floral purchase? How can you maximize the vase life of your flowers and even revive flowers back from the brink of expiration?
Well here are a few tips to help ensure your flowers will be around for you to enjoy for the longest possible time.
Prevention and Preparation:
1. When traveling home from the florist always keep your flowers in a cool area of you car away from direct sunlight and heater vents.
2. If you place the flowers in a refridgerator before unpacking, be sure to keep them away from your fan or the vent where the cold air enters your fridge.
3. If you plan to keep your flowers wrapped for presentation to your recipient the following day, it is advisable to unwrap the stems and place in a vase of water, and place the whole arrangement in a cool area such as a garage or basement. (The ideal temperature for preserving cut flowers is a few degrees above freezing, around 34 degrees)
4. When you are ready to unpack your flowers, get out a sharp knife or scissors and one of your favorite vases. Unwrap the cellophane and untie the binding that holds the stems together. Group the flowers into like flowers and spread them out on your counter. Fill your vase with the floral food packet and 3/4 full of lukewarm water. Now choose your first flowers that will go in the vase and start cutting about 1 to 1.5 inches off of each stem and imediately submerge it in your vase of water. Cut on an angle to maximize the amount of water the stems can take in. Arrange the flowers to your liking. (More tips on arranging your flowers in a later blog)
5. Keep your vase of flowers out of direct sunlight and away from any heating or cooling vents.
6. Every few days lift the flowers out of the vase, drain the water, rinse the vase out with clean water, and then refill it with lukewarm, clean water. Cut 1" off of the stems and place them back in the vase.
Reasons flowers expire prematurely
1. Stems have been left out of water too long and form a 'scab' on the ends, preventing water from entering and traveling up the stems to hydrate the bloom.
2. The water in the vase has gotten too cloudy and bacteria has clogged the stems, preventing proper flower hydration.
3. Flowers are placed in direct sunlight or in extreme heat or cold.
Reviving a Wilted Bloom:
Sometimes for whatever reason you will notice your flower may start to wilt:
Cut your stem on an angle:
Well here are a few tips to help ensure your flowers will be around for you to enjoy for the longest possible time.
Prevention and Preparation:
1. When traveling home from the florist always keep your flowers in a cool area of you car away from direct sunlight and heater vents.
2. If you place the flowers in a refridgerator before unpacking, be sure to keep them away from your fan or the vent where the cold air enters your fridge.
3. If you plan to keep your flowers wrapped for presentation to your recipient the following day, it is advisable to unwrap the stems and place in a vase of water, and place the whole arrangement in a cool area such as a garage or basement. (The ideal temperature for preserving cut flowers is a few degrees above freezing, around 34 degrees)
4. When you are ready to unpack your flowers, get out a sharp knife or scissors and one of your favorite vases. Unwrap the cellophane and untie the binding that holds the stems together. Group the flowers into like flowers and spread them out on your counter. Fill your vase with the floral food packet and 3/4 full of lukewarm water. Now choose your first flowers that will go in the vase and start cutting about 1 to 1.5 inches off of each stem and imediately submerge it in your vase of water. Cut on an angle to maximize the amount of water the stems can take in. Arrange the flowers to your liking. (More tips on arranging your flowers in a later blog)
5. Keep your vase of flowers out of direct sunlight and away from any heating or cooling vents.
6. Every few days lift the flowers out of the vase, drain the water, rinse the vase out with clean water, and then refill it with lukewarm, clean water. Cut 1" off of the stems and place them back in the vase.
Reasons flowers expire prematurely
1. Stems have been left out of water too long and form a 'scab' on the ends, preventing water from entering and traveling up the stems to hydrate the bloom.
2. The water in the vase has gotten too cloudy and bacteria has clogged the stems, preventing proper flower hydration.
3. Flowers are placed in direct sunlight or in extreme heat or cold.
Reviving a Wilted Bloom:
Sometimes for whatever reason you will notice your flower may start to wilt:
Cut your stem on an angle:
And imediately place them in a vase of water and place them in a cool place:
This is what the wilted rose looked like only a few hours after cutting the stem and placing in clean water:
Hope this information helps you enjoy your flowers as long as possible!
