You have just been offered a splendid bouquet of flowers, and you want it to last long? Here are some practical tips and simple gestures to keep beautiful flowers for a long time.
1 Picking flowers in the garden
Flowers must be cut at the right time if you want to keep them as long as possible. I prefer to pick them up in the evening or morning when it is cool and avoid picking them up in hot and sunny weather. You will then benefit from fresh flowers that are perfectly hydrated for the elaboration of your bouquet.
You should also pick your flowers according to their blooming stage. Do not pick flowers whose buds are still closed (except for peonies), as they would be deprived of nutrients and unable to open. Flowers picked too late, whose discolored petals tend to soften, will wither too quickly.
2 Preparing the flowers before putting them in a vase
- Whether you had a flower delivery, or you have created a bouquet from your own garden, the first thing to do is to clean the stems by removing the leaves at the bottom that could get soaked in the water of the vase, a source of bacteria.
- Remember to cut the stems at an angle of one to two centimeters, which allows your flowers to absorb water better. For this cut, use pruning shears, as scissors tend to crush the stems. Make this cut under a stream of water to avoid the formation of air bubbles.
3 Choose an appropriate vase
Be sure to use a vase that is proportional to the size of your bouquet. To do this, simply follow this rule: the height of the vase should be at least twice as high as the length of the stems. Also, make sure to clean your vase with water and bleach to eliminate microorganisms.
It is better to fill your vase with warm water rather than cold water. The packet of nutritional powder provided by our florist can be placed in the water of your flowers to ensure a longer life. A grandmother’s recipe also recommends adding a pinch of baking soda or sugar. Finally, a piece of charcoal will limit the stagnation process of the water in your vase.
4 The location of the bouquet of flowers
Cut flowers do not appreciate the heat. It is, therefore, not recommended to place your bouquet of flowers in the sun or near a radiator. For optimal conservation, I prefer a fresh and luminous place away from draughts.
Avoid placing your bouquet near a bowl of fruit; the ethylene gas they give off when they ripen is harmful to cut flowers.
5 Maintain your bouquet on a daily basis
It is not recommended to change the water in your vase every day. Instead, add a little warm water every day. This will avoid bacterial proliferation, which is harmful to the health of your flowers. Wilted flowers and leaves should be removed. If your bouquet includes fruits, it is advised to remove them as soon as they reach maturity. Their proximity would cause your flowers to age more quickly.
Also, remember to cut back the ends of your stems by about 1.5 cm, always at an angle. This action will avoid the appearance of a plug that would prevent a good water supply to your flowers. Once your stems are cut, remember to rinse them as well. For perfectly tended flowers, you can spray fresh water at a distance of about 20 cm from your bouquet.
6 Cut flowers: special care
- The Tulip
The tulip requires only a small volume of water, not exceeding 5 cm, in the vase. Too much water will cause the petals to fall
prematurely.
- Lilac
For lilac stems, it is advisable to crush them rather than cut them at an angle. Crushing them with a hammer will stimulate the rise of the sap.
- The poppy
The poppy appreciates a light healing of its stems at the end of a flame, without insisting, for optimal conservation.
- The daffodil
Before putting them in a vase, let your daffodils dry for about thirty minutes. Cut the stems at an angle. It is not advisable to compose a bouquet of daffodils with other flowers because the daffodils will make them wilt quickly.
- The Rose
To restore your roses to their original beauty after a few days in a vase, place them in warm water for about 2 hours.
