Want to know the trick for keeping those grocery store flowers looking great? Or perhaps you just received a lovely arrangement or bouquet and want to know how to best take care of it to get the most life out of your flowers? We've broken down a few simple tips that anyone can follow to ensure that they get the most out of their flowers.
1. Keep the Water Clean From Debris
The cleanliness of your flower's water is key to keeping them fresh and long lasting. This means that its best to remove any debris such as fallen leaves or petals from the water to prevent bacteria growth which can clog the flower stems and prevent them from drinking water. You may notice a cloudiness surrouding your flower's stems and a foul ordor coming from the vase if bacteria builds up. If this happens its possible to save your flowers but you will have to then scrub the vase clean and trim the stems, so its best to prevent it!
2. Remove Dead Flowers
Unfortunately, flowers don't last forever and eventually wilt and when this happens its best to remove those dead flowers from the arrangement. Doing this will help prevent the others from aging quicker since wilting flowers release bacteria as they decay.
3. Keep Them in a Cool Place
Keeping your flowers someplace where the sun isn't beating down on them directly and where heat won't take it's toll is crucial to their longevity. Ideally you want to keep your flowers in a cool area free from direct heat and drafts. This means away from vents and from windows that receive too much light.
4. Keep Away from Ripening Fruit and Curious Critters
While on the subject of placement, be sure to keep any fruit bowls away from your flowers. This is due to the ethylene gas that ripening fruit emits which can cause your flowers to age quicker. While one or two apples near your flowers won't hurt, its best to keep them from where you display your fruits.
Keeping them from curious pets is also very important. Dogs and cats especially have been known to nibble and paw at flowers brought into the home out of sheer curiousity. Many flowers happen to be toxic to pets so its best to keep your flowers and pets seperate the best you can for both their sakes.
5. Scrub the Vase If You Can
The difference between ordering a bouquet over an arrangement is that a bouquet does not come with a vase and is created in the florist's hand. This means that when you place your bouquet in a vase you can easily remove the flowers giving you easy access to scrub the inside of the vase with some mild dish soap. This is great for keeping the vase clean and free from bacteria.
However, if you have an arrangement which are created with items such as florist tape, you won't be able to remove the flowers without compromising the design and possibly damaging the flowers. Your best bet here is to gently tilt the arrangement to dump the old water then replace with fresh water.
6. Change the Water Every Other Day
Perhaps the most important tip is to change your flower's water at least every other day. This ensures that bacteria doesn't get a chance to grow and it gives your flowers access to clean water which in turn will make them last longer. As a bonus we recommend using filtered water over tap because the latter carries a lot of minerals which may take a toll on your flowers (and plants too).
7. Two Tips for Your Grocery Store Bought Flowers
For those of us who like to treat ourselves to fresh flowers when we pick up groceries, there are a couple of key tips along with the above that are especially important for those store bought beauties.
Tip number one for your store bought flowers is to remove any leaves which we call cleaning the stems. It can be as easy as sliding your thumb and index finger down each stem to remove any leaves. Be sure to take caution with any flowers such as roses whose vines may be thorny. For these types you will want to pluck the leaves.
Tip number two is to cut your flowers at an angle. It is crucial that you trim your flowers to ensure that they can properly hydrate but cutting at an angle will also increase the surface area allowing for more water to get through. You can do this with a pair of kitchen scissors or a blade if your handy.
With these simple and easy tips you can make the most out of your flowers. However, if you want flowers that will last forever be sure to check out our collection of preserved flowers.
