So you have been treated to, or more importantly treated yourself, a bouquet of flowers.
Below are four steps to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
We guarantee all our flowers for 7 days, with the exception of a few varieties, but with proper care, most will last longer.
Step one: Clean your vase If your vase is not clean, then you will forgo most of the benefits of the steps below. So get it in the sink and slather it with washing up liquid. If your vase is difficult to get in to, try using a long-handled scrubber. In the case your vase is really grotty, get the bleach out.
Step Two: Cut the stems, strip the leaves. Cut your stems at a 45-degree angle at least 1/2 inch from the bottom. A clean cut with a large surface area will allow the flowers to take in more water and stay hydrated. This step should be repeated every time you change the water, it will keep the cut fresh allowing more water to be pulled through your stems. Depending on the type of stems you may need different utensils. Sectears - Hard Woody Stems Knives - For softer stems like ranunculus, anemone, and dahlias. Scissors - Can be used for cutting medium density stems and for snipping off leaves Once you have cut the stems, strip any leaves which may fall below your water line. If you get your flowers delivered on the day from us, you can skip this step where you cut the stems on day one, as we will have done it for you just before delivery. If your flowers come via postal order this step is really important.
Step Three: Use flower food
Flower food not only feeds the flowers but also helps to keep your water fresher by killing off harmful bacteria. Treat flower food as a science, read the instructions on the packet and use the correct amount of water. If you don't, it will be like making a Gin and Tonic with a 25ml shot of Gin and a pint of Tonic. Recipe for your own flower food. Mix Together
one litre of water
one tablespoon of vinegar
one teaspoon sugar
three to five drops of household bleach
Step Four: Fresh Water
And finally, keep your water topped up and fresh! Check daily to see if you need to top up the water, different flowers will drink at different rates. Ideally, the water in the vase should be changed every 3 days. If any leaves fall from your blooms into the water remove them as they will quickly rot making the water stale.
Most flowers will last at least 7-10 days. If kept right our bouquets can last a full two weeks. There are a few types that will last even longer, Lisianthus, Carnations, and Chrisyanthanums being a few.
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