Flowers are absolutely beautiful and marvellous specimens. They are so versatile and can be gifted for a huge range of occasions, Birthdays, anniversaries, joyous occasional and sad, when  thinking of someone whom has lost a loved one. Flowers are a universal language and natures gift

For centuries we have been wooed by the wonderful language and scent of flowers, they can be such a meaningful and thoughtful gift. Unfortunately like all good things in life, flowers are perishable and won't last forever.

But what if I gave you 7 easy tips to help prolong your flowers vase life so you can admire their beauty for just a  little while longer?

 

7 Easy Flower Care Tips

Clean Vase

Always clean the vessel you are putting your fresh flowers in. Use dish soap and warm water to clean the vase or vessel and ensure you have rinsed all of the soap suds away. A dirty vase will harbour bacteria and make your blooms not only wilt but the water will go cloudy and smelly and frankly you flowers deserve better!

Fill your Vase

Fill your vase with fresh clean water about 2/3 of the way to the top. Use just fresh water if that's all you have, some flower feed would be awesome and if you have access to sugar you could use half a teaspoon of sugar and water as a substitute for flower feed. If you wanted to you could even add half a glass of flat lemonade to water as a feed substitute. Far more often than not we have these things lying around in our kitchen, and you don't need to break the bank. Fresh water will suffice regardless. 

Remove Lower Foliage

Any foliage on the flower stems that will go underwater needs to be removed. Foliage in the water causes bacteria to grow. 

Cut the stems

Before adding your flowers to your vase/vessel, trim every individual stem by 2-3cm. When you trim the ends ensure you cut at a diagonal angle, this ensures optimal absorption for the flower so the stems don't sit directly at the bottom of the vase. Cut the stems this way every 2-3 days to ensure the ends don't get clogged and the flower can continue to absorb water and nutrients. 

Top tip: Ensure your scissors or pruners are nice and clean and also sharp. They will carry bacteria onto your stems and into the water. Blunt tools will damage the stem and impact the intake of water and nutrients for the flower, a nice sharp tool will ensure a clean cut.

Water

Keep your bouquet hydrated, your flowers will not last without water. Change the water every 2-3 days , ensure any dropped foliage has been removed from the vase. top up water when needed. 

Placement

Where you place your flowers in your home is important to consider. Do not place your flowers in direct sunlight, close to heating elements, drafts such as open windows  or even fresh fruit. Ripening fruits release tiny amounts of ethylene gas which will age your flowers and reduce the longevity of your fresh floral arrangement.

Titivate

Check your arrangement daily for any droopy stems, wilted flowers, dropped petals or foliage in the vase. Any dropped flowers heads, petals or foliage in the water will create bacteria, remove these immediately. Any flowers which have seen better days and are wilting can also be removed. Trust your gut and your eye you will notice the flowers that have seen better days.

Remember flowers are ultimately perishable and won't last, these tips and tricks will only help prolong their vase life. 

Now that you have some tricks up your sleeve for ensuring the longevity of your fresh blooms you can give it a go yourself! Head to our collection of home grown fresh seasonal flowers and find the perfect arrangement for any celebratory occasion or surprise someone with fresh flowers just because.