Our useful tips on how to care for cut flowers and ways to keep them looking fresher for longer.
When we receive a beautiful bouquet, we want it to last as long as possible. It's always sad when the bloom start to fade, but there are a few things you can do to care for them and help your lovely flowers last for as long as possible.
1. Trim the Stems
To start carefully remove all packaging and trim at least 2-3cm off the stems, at a 45 degree angle. This angle increases the surface area of the stem, helping them to absorb water more efficiently. You can cut the stems shorter if needed for smaller vases.
It's best to trim them with a sharp knife or secateurs, as a blunt cut can crush the stems and prevent them from drawing in water, which will reduce their lifespan.
2. Remove Leaves Below The Waterline
Pluck away any leaves that will fall below the waterline in your vase. This will keep the water cleaner. Leaves sitting in water will break down and decay, causing the water to be contaminated with bacteria. This can harm your flowers, and doesn't smell great either!
3. Remove Guard Petals from Roses
Guard petals are the outer petals of roses, and sometimes look a little discoloured. We leave them on as they protect the rest of the flowers during their journey to you, but once your bouquet has arrived you can gently pluck them off. Although they don't do any harm, removing guard petals will help your roses to look much more colourful.
4. Fill A Clean Vase
Make sure to choose a vase that's a comfortable fit for your bouquet. If the vase is too small, flowers can be squished and not bloom properly.
Fill your vase with fresh, cold water and add the sachet of flower food provided. Please note that metal container can neutralise flower food, so a ceramic or glass vase may be a better choice. Then place your flowers in the vase.
5. Display Your Blooms Proudly
Now your blooms are ready to be displayed. You can help your flowers to last longer by placing them in a cool, light location away from draughts, direct heat, and sunshine. Try to avoid placing them near fresh fruit as well - fruit gives off ethylene gas as it ripens, which can cause your flowers to age prematurely.
It's a good idea to place your vase on a protective mat, to prevent water stains on furniture.
You should also keep your bouquet out of the reach of pets. Many stems can be harmful to dogs and cats if they eat them. This is particularly important with lilies, as they are highly toxic to cats.
6. Remove Lily Anthers
Our lilies arrive in bud form, as this means they are fresher and will have a longer vase life. They'll bloom beautifully after a few days in water. Once they've opened, you may want to remove their anthers with a tissue. This is an optional step, but a good way to avoid stubborn stains from lily pollen.
7. Refresh Your Stems
Keep your flowers healthy by retrimming the stems every two or three days. Stems can seal up cuts after a couple of days, so trimming them again ensures they can keep absorbing enough water. When doing this, you should also replace the water in the vase to keep the flowers' environment clean.
We hope that these tips help you to keep your cut blooms fresh for as long as possible. Don't forget that all of our bouquets are covered by our freshness guarantee, which is our promise that your flowers will last at least a week. We also include a care leaflet with every arrangement to ensure your recipients can make the most out of their gift.
Loading...