A fresh bundle of flowers is the ultimate pick-me-up. Whether someone surprises you with a fresh cut Bouq or you pick up a cheery bunch for yourself, flowers are sure to brighten your day. With so much mood-lifting power, you want your flowers to last as long as possible, right?
Everyone knows that cut flowers need water. That’s why the first thing that anyone who receives flowers does is reach for a vase and fill it with water. While that’s a wonderful initial thought, there are more steps you can take to make fresh flowers last longer. Read on to discover some pro tips and tricks for extending the life of your fresh cut blooms.
Don’t Procrastinate
Sure, you may be in the middle of making a spectacular meal when your dinner guests arrive with a gorgeous floral hostess gift, but that doesn’t mean you can let the flowers sit. The moment you have your cut flowers in your hands you should start preparing their home. Sitting around in a warm room, wrapped up tight, and without something to drink can make anyone wilt. Imagine what it’s doing to your delicate flowers.
Banish Bacteria
Maybe you’re used to giving your vase a little rinse before filling it with water, but do you ever give it a good scrub first? We stay healthier in a cleaner environment and, as it turns out, flowers do, too. So, don’t just grab any old mason jar off the counter and plunk your flowers into it. While you’re certainly free to create some rustic charm with that lovely jar, be sure to thoroughly clean it first. Clean it with soap and water (or even a little bleach) and give it a good rinse and dry.
Choose Well
The container you choose for your flowers is more important than you might think. When you’re considering how to make flowers last longer, proper vase selection probably doesn’t factor into the equation, but it can make a difference. If you pick a container that won’t properly hold up your buds, they’ll droop over and become broken. Conversely, if you select something that keeps the flowers too tightly packed, they’ll rot more quickly.
Trim and Trim Again
When you’re thinking about how to make fresh flowers last longer, don’t forget about trimming. Stem ends get dried up quickly when they’re not in water, so be sure to give them a snip before placing them in the vase. Sharp scissors work best for this process. Give the stems an inch or so trim at an angle. Each time you change the water in the vase, give them another snip. To take even more care, trim the ends while they’re underwater.
Prepare a Snack
No, not for yourself—for your blooms. You may have worked up quite an appetite getting the vase and flowers prepped, but your fresh flowers need some food too. You can either sprinkle in some of the flower food that came with your flowers or whip up your own special batch. Mixing water with some sugar, lemon, or lime juice and a drop of bleach works well for keeping arrangements fresh and perky.
Strip Them Down
Leaves that sit under water for a little while will turn slimy and contaminate the water, causing your flowers to die more quickly. Take off any foliage that will sit under the water and remember to regularly remove any fallen petals and leaves. A big step that many forget when learning how to make flowers last longer is remembering to change the water every other day, at a minimum. This will also reduce bacteria growth.
Maintain
Once you drop those darling buds in your carefully prepared vessel, you might think your job is done, but you still need to be vigilant. A big part of knowing how to make flowers last longer is being on top of day-to-day upkeep. Some flowers, such as roses, are quite delicate and need extra maintenance. If you receive a Bouq of delicate roses and are unsure of how to make cut roses last longer, follow the above steps. You’ll also need to place the flowers in a cool area of the house overnight and keep them out of direct sunlight during the day.
Some people are tempted to put their cut flowers in the fridge overnight, but this can be counterproductive as the gasses let off by fruits and vegetables cause flowers to wilt faster. Another important point in learning how to make cut roses last longer is discovering that thorns, even if under water, should be left in place. Cutting the thorns off creates wounds in the canes that allow fo bacteria to get in.
Of course, one of the key points in knowing how to make fresh flowers last longer is starting with super fresh flowers to begin with. The Bouqs Company doesn’t cut flowers until you order them. That way, there’s no waste, and your Bouqs are as fresh as they possibly can be when they get to you.
Shop All
