BWF
Posted on 12/23/2024 at 8:08 pm by Ben White Florist / Flowers
The beauty of flowers is undeniable. After you get a fresh bouquet or arrangement, you want to see it thrive for as long as possible. However, cut flowers require special care to remain vibrant and full of life for as long as possible.
Try these five key tips for refreshing your floral arrangement.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to remember to always use a sparkling-clean container for your flowers. Any debris, dirt, or old flower water can impair the health of your new floral arrangement.
The easiest way to do this is to use dish soap and water to scrub your vase before getting new flowers. Make sure you fully rinse out all of the dish soap; some chemical residues are harmful to flower stems. Let the vase air dry, or wipe it down with a soft cloth before placing your flowers inside.
If you can’t get around to changing the water daily, make sure to at least replace the vase water once every couple of days. Refreshing your flower water prevents bacteria from building up and killing your cut flowers.
Even if the water looks clear, there could still be harmful microbes floating around. You can get up to two additional weeks of life out of your flower arrangement if you use this simple tip.
Once flowers have been cut, the live tissues that make up their stems start to die. This is normal and expected, but you can slow the process by trimming the stems every few days. Trimming flower stems gets rid of dead tissue and allows the stem to fully absorb water and nutrients again.
Here are some helpful tips for cutting flower stems:
Some flowers need more stem maintenance than others. Always do your research on the species in your bouquet so that you can get the most amount of life out of it.
“Flower food” packets usually include a special blend of plant nutrients that cut flowers need to thrive. When all else fails, try adding a packet to your vase and see what happens. Some pre-cut floral arrangements come with one or two packets of flower food that you can mix in as soon as you put them in a vase.
Table sugar is a good substitute for specialized plant nutrients. Most flower food mixtures contain some sugar. If you don’t have flower food packets, mix one to three teaspoons of sugar with your flower water instead.
This can perk your flowers up for at least a few days. Don’t forget to continue refreshing the water each day to prevent buildup.
It’s natural for leaves and petals to start wilting after a few days or weeks. The key to rejuvenating your flowers after wilting has begun is to remove these dead pieces as soon as you notice them.
Wilted or decaying leaves and petals aren’t adding any value to the health of your arrangement. In fact, they can use up necessary water and nutrients despite their appearance. This takes resources away from other flowers in the arrangement and can quickly kill your whole bouquet.
Use a pair of scissors to neatly trim away any lifeless petals or leaves, being careful not to nick healthy flowers in the process.
Taking steps to care for the health of your floral arrangement can keep it looking beautiful for longer. These tips can also help bring a bouquet back to life for at least a few days if it is already beginning to wilt.
If you can’t salvage your current arrangement, keep these tips in mind for your next batch. You can prevent many common flower health issues by giving each stem fresh water to drink and plenty of nutrients to consume.
Family owned and operated since 1982, we are proud to provide great service, beautiful floral arrangements, same day flower delivery, and affordable pricing to our fantastic customers in and around Austin, TX!
Our professional but fun and easy-going staff will take your order and have it delivered in a timely manner. We offer contemporary & traditional flower arrangements for all holidays and occasions, including birthdays, get well flowers, new baby, sympathy & funeral, just because, and more.
Delivery available 6 days a week. Place your order online or call us today at (512) 447-3577.
