We love flowers as much as you do! Also, just like you, we want to keep your floral arrangements looking fabulous for as long as possible. Thankfully, caring for fresh flowers is an easy job. As professional florists, here are our top tips on how to care for your cut flowers.
A Florist’s Tips on Caring for Fresh Flowers
By their nature, flowers are delicate and sensitive to environmental changes. When you have cut flowers, this becomes even more apparent. With the average arrangement lasting between 4-7 days (often longer), caring for fresh flowers is important to ensure they last as long as they can. When your flowers arrive, follow these steps:
- Unwrap your flowers and remove any wet wrapping or cellophane
- If your flowers came in oasis (green foam), keep it moist by watering regularly
- Re-cut the stems, exposing a new part of each stem to the water
- Change the water every two days, or if it starts to become cloudy
- Keep your flowers away from draughts, heat sources and direct sunlight
- Remove fading flowers and foliage regularly
- Keep your cut flowers away from fruit, as the ethylene gas decreases the time the flowers will last
- Ensure the cut flower stems are always under water
Cut Flowers Love Fresh Water
One of the best ways of caring for fresh flowers is to keep the water fresh. Changing the water at least every two days helps prevent bacteria growth, which causes flowers to deteriorate quickly. When you change your water, spend a few moments to remove the flowers which are dead or dying. Clean the container they are in, if possible, with soapy water and rinse well. This also removes any bacterial growth. Use a knife to cut the stems, as scissors can crush the flower’s stem and stop it absorbing water.
What is Flower Food?
A quick search on the internet will show you many different opinions on caring for fresh flowers. Some suggest adding bleach to their water, others sugar and even aspirin. While I do have sachets of flower food available, I believe the best flower food is fresh water with nothing added to it. Bacteria is one of the major causes of cut flowers having a short lifespan. You can counter this by only using clean vases, emptying the old water and replacing with fresh water every two days, and removing flowers and foliage which has perished.
The next time you need a florist in the Kaitaia, Northland area, come see us! As your local florist, we can help you with bouquets for any occasion your wedding or anniversary, as well as events like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Remember though, fresh flowers are not just for special occasions – they’re for everyday too! Take a browse through our online florist shop today.
