Having a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers in your home is known to boost energy, mood and productivity levels. All cut flowers will eventually spoil, but with care, you can extend their life and make them last longer.
Whether you’ve bought a bunch yourself or have had the thrill of a generous bouquet delivered to your door, looking after cut flowers will have them blooming in your home for days, even weeks.
However, taking care of them isn’t as easy as simply styling a beautiful arrangement and popping it in water. By following these five florist’s tips into your routine, your flowers will be as fresh as daisies (literally) for so much longer!
1. Trim the stems
Cut 2-4cm off the ends of the flower stems at a diagonal angle. This will increase the amount of base area that the flower has to stay hydrated.
To ensure a longer and healthier bunch, trim the stems each time the water is changed.
2. Add vinegar and sugar to the water
Is there anything apple cider vinegar can’t do? Along with benefitting your gut health, it also aids the growth and maintenance of your flowers.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar into the vase of water and stir.
This mixture holds the freshness of the flowers and provides essential nutrients. Make sure you change the water every few days and add a fresh amount of vinegar and sugar.
3. Clean the vase daily
Washing your vase and giving the flowers clean water every day (or at least every two days) is the most important step in caring for cut flowers.
“Roses, in particular, need clean water daily,” says Teresa Boreham, florist and owner of Flowers By Teresa in Sydney’s inner west.
“Wash the vase well and refill with clean water, adding a sachet of flower food (supplied by your florist) or a teaspoon of bleach to deter bacteria. Remove any spent blooms and leaves below the water line as these will promote decay of the remaining blooms,” advises Teresa.
5. Remove leaves and outer petals
By removing the leaves that are below the waterline, you save growing bacteria that would sabotage the growth of the flowers. It will also make your bunch look much fuller and brighter. If you are dealing with flowers such as roses, remove the outer layer of petals to allow the flower to blossom to its full extent.
6. Keep away from direct heat and sunlight
Flowers are kept inside because they often can’t handle an outdoor environment. It’s important to keep them away from windows where they’ll receive constant and direct sunlight and instead have them in a cool area where they can fully blossom.
Medium Block vase in Rose
$52.50, Marmoset Found
Best for: Short, blousy blooms
Be brave and cut all the stems on a bunch of big-headed blooms to leave them quite short. Fill this textured little cube to the brim and have the petals spill over the edges for a frilly floral display.
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large.
Colours: Storm, Green, Rose, Coffee.
Materials: Glass.
Handmade ceramic planter in Moss Green
$175.00, ESKO Home
Best for: Sculptural and Ikebana arrangements
If your flower budget is limited, rather than splashing out on expensive blooms, opt for simple seasonal branches foraged from your garden or local market and arrange in a minimal style to last many weeks; anchored in a simple ceramic planter with the help of a flower frog.
Sizes: Small W15 x H10cm, Medium W22 x H12cm, Large W26 x H15cm.
Colours: Sand, White, Black, Moss Green.
Materials: High quality porcelain.
Flower frog in Pink
$29.00 Garden Glory
Best for: Sculptural and Ikebana arrangements
Employ the principles of traditional Ikebana in your minimal arrangements with the help of this little friend. Known as ‘kenzan’ in Japanese, place your flower frog in the base of any vessel to support the stems in your flower arrangement in exactly the position you desire! They’re spiky, heavy and super stable to keep everything in place.
Sizes: W34mm.
Colours: Black, Pink.
Materials: High-quality brass.
Halo vase, large, in Cherry
$92.50, Marmoset Found
Best for: Statement stems and foliage
The beautiful curves of this smokey glass vessel make a statement all on their own when not in use, making it a versatile object to style in vignettes. When filled with flowers, the heavy base means you can go tall with stems such as lilies or delphiniums, or celebrate the silhouette of a single leaf to pack a visual punch.
Sizes: Medium, Large.
Colours: Smoke, Green, Cherry, Storm.
Materials: Glass.
Ravello flower jug
$120.50, Quality Products Direct
Best for: Seasonal bunches
We’re obsessed with jugs! They are a wonderful shape to include in your styling arsenal and will strike a pose on a kitchen benchtop with or without flowers. The perfect partner to “chop and drop” a seasonal bunch, just remember to remove the leaves below the water line and freshen the water every two days for a lasting seasonal display.
Size: W24 x D22 x H21cm.
Colours: White.
Materials: Ceramic with crackle glaze.
Tall salon vase
$143, Casa e Cucina
Best for: Season flowers with thick stems
The lovely ribbed effect on the surface of this vase makes it another great candidate for styling without flowers. Because of the wide opening at the top, however, when filling with blooms, opt for thicker stems and cut short to keep the arrangement compact.
Sizes: Tall.
Colours: White with terracotta stripe detail.
Materials: Terracotta.
Medium cocoon vase in Light Blue
$62.50, Marmoset Found
Best for: Naked branches and single stems
This tall number provides maximum effect for minimum effort and makes for a great tall element in a sideboard or dining table display. Pop in a stem or two and you’re done!
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large.
Colours: Terracotta, Moss, Charcoal, Snow, Icy Pin, Dove Grey, Steel Blue, Light Blue, Chalk White.
Materials: Ceramic.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
