This months blog focuses on how to get the most out of your cut flowers if you're buying them direct from the florist or even the supermarket - although as a florist myself I can say spending that little extra at the florist can make the world of difference in terms of freshness and quality, as any good florist will only purchase the best from their supplier.
The key thing to consider when preserving the life of your flowers is to give them the nutrients and conditions to thrive, as well as reducing the growth of bacteria in the vase of water- so read our top tips on how to keep your flowers alive for longer so that you can enjoy the fresh scent of your favourite flowers in the home time and time again:
1. On receipt of receiving your flowers re-cut your stems using a sharp pair of scissors at an angle this will help to optimise the up take of water.
2. Put your flowers in a clean disinfected vase making sure to wash it out with a small amount of bleach and rinse.
3. Make sure to remove all foliage that may come in contact with water- foliage is the main cause of a build of bacteria in your vase.
4. Add clean room temperature water at roughly half full of vase size.
5. Adding flower food will help to maximise flower life. Flower food is designed to feed the weakest flowers and make all your flowers keep at their best for longer. Florist tend to use the best flower food on the market- I like to include a sachet of Oasis Floralife with all my bouquets as it is proven to double your flower vase life in comparison to adding no food at all.
6. Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight - as tempting as it maybe to show off your beautiful bunch of flowers in your window this can cause more harm than good. Cut flowers do not need sunlight to flourish in fact sunlight and warm temperatures will cause your cut flowers to dry out more quickly leading to shrivelling, wilting and increase of bacteria in the water. Instead place your flowers out of direct sunlight in a cool room and this will help to extend their life.
7. After a few days change the water and add a tiny drop of bleach. Like us flowers like to have a fresh drink and the bleach will help to minimise the build up of bacteria.
8. Don't cut the stems too often- although this might be tempting cutting them too much can cause the flower head stress and will decrease the vase life. Cut a maximum of twice a week.
9. If your flowers are in floral foam (Received in a hat box or container) make sure to keep the water levels topped up (Best done over the sink in case of any spillages) and don't allow the foam to dry out.
10. Don't place your flowers too close to fruit because when fruit matures it produces ethylene which in some cases speeds up the development of the flowers and in turn reduces the longevity.
By following these tips I hope you will notice a difference in your cut flowers longevity. For fresh flowers all year round why not sign up to our *local monthly subscription flower service: https://www.featherfoxglove.com/shop get a seasonal bouquet of flowers delivered to your door every month and always have fresh flowers to greet you when you get home.
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