If you have received a lovely bunch of flowers from a loved one or picked your own straight from your garden recently, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you maximise their life.
If you want your flowers to stay fresh for longer, it’s not as simple as just putting them in a vase. Here are our favourite helpful steps:
Cut the stems at an angle
Before placing your flowers in a vase, it is a good idea to give the stems a bit of a trim. The best way to do this is to cut them at an angle, this allows more water to be absorbed by the stems, giving the flowers the nutrients they need far quicker.
Remove foliage
Removing leaves and foliage from areas of the stem that sit below the waterline will ensure that your flowers last longer. Bacteria from the leaves will get into the water and once the flowers absorb it, it will shorten their life.
Clean vase before use
As previously mentioned, bacteria being absorbed by the flowers will cause them to wilt and shorten their life. This is why it is always recommended to give your vase a clean before use, because the chances are it has been sat in a cupboard gathering dust and bacteria for a while before use.
Use room temperature water
Contrary to popular belief, water at a warmer temperature, such as room temperature, is far better for flowers than cold water. This is because warmer water gets absorbed quicker by the flowers, ensuring that they get the nutrients they need as quickly as possible.
It is also a good idea to replace the water regularly to ensure that it’s always fresh and bacteria doesn’t start to grow and cause the flowers to wilt.
Flower food
Adding flower food will prolong the bloom of the flowers because it contains essential nutrients in order for the flowers to stay fresh. It contains three main ingredients; bleach, sugar and citric acid. The bleach eliminates the water of any bacteria, the sugar gives the flowers energy to grow and the citric acid balances the PH of the water.
If you don’t have any flower food to hand, it is really simple to make your own, just use 1 teaspoon of clear, unscented bleach. Put this into warm water and allow it to dissolve before adding into the vase water. As always, follow the safety instructions on the label of your bleach product and ensure that it doesn’t come into contact with you.
Placement
Placement of the flowers is really important. It is best to keep them out of direct sunlight, away from any sources of heat and in a cool room to ensure maximum freshness.
It is also ideal to keep them away from any fruit, as fruit emits a gas called ethylene that causes flowers to wilt at a faster pace.
Order stunning flowers today
Flowers are a beautiful gift that everyone can enjoy, if you are looking for flowers to give to a loved one take a look at our range of our bouquets. If you’re interested in something a bit more personal, we can also create custom bouquets – just pop into our shop on Western Road or give us a call on 01273 770966.
