Flowers just arrived? Here is how to keep them looking their best.
Fresh flowers do not need much, but a few small habits make a real difference.
Why florist flowers are different from grocery store flowers
Grocery store bouquets are usually made ahead and can sit for days before you buy them. Florist flowers are purchased from professional wholesalers and processed properly. When I make a bouquet, the stems are cleaned, cut and put into flower food solution first. As I build, each stem goes into a Quick Dip, and the finished bouquet is sprayed with Crowning Glory before it goes out the door, ready for you to enjoy.
When they arrive
Fill a clean vase with cool water and mix in the flower food. Every bouquet comes with a packet.
Cut the stems before you put them in. Take off about a centimetre, no more. The stems are already cleaned and the lower leaves are already removed.
Pick a good spot. Cool and out of direct sun. Keep them away from heaters, cold drafts from doors and windows, and the fruit bowl, because ripening fruit gives off a gas that ages flowers faster.
If you want them to last the longest
Change the water every day. Rinse the vase if it looks cloudy.
Cut the stems again each time you change the water. Just about a centimetre. A small fresh cut each day helps the stems keep drinking.
Add more flower food every time you change the water, if you have it.
Take out anything that falls into the water, like leaves or petals.
If a flower starts to droop or fade, take it out right away. That helps the other flowers last longer.
How long will they last?
It depends on the flower, the water and the room. Floralife, a flower food company, lists typical vase life of about 7 to 10 days for roses, 14 to 21 days for carnations and 7 to 14 days for chrysanthemums. Penn State Extension says that with this kind of care, arrangements can last one to two weeks, sometimes longer. In Floralife's own tests, flower food made roses last 90% longer, alstroemeria 18% longer and chrysanthemums 58% longer than plain water.
Many people find their flowers last longer than they expected when they take care of them this way.
Want to try it?
Try The Garden Bouquet and follow the steps above. Every bouquet is handmade, so yours will always look a little unique compared to the photo.
Karri-Lynn, Worn & Wild Florals. First Nation woman-owned, NW Calgary.
More from my blog: How to Order Funeral Flowers in Calgary: What to Decide and When, Skills You Need to Work at a Flower Shop, How to Get a Florist Job With No Experience