5 Tips to Care for Flower Arrangements
Whether you purchase flowers from a florist or pick up a bouquet from the grocery store you want them to last and get the most for your money. This is why it is so important to take care of your flowers to get the longest possible vase life out of them. Of course, please remember that no matter how much care and attention you give your flower arrangement it will eventually wilt.
Below I've listed my top five tips for taking care of a vase flower arrangement. I hope these will help you get a few days of extra enjoyment out of your fresh flowers!
Five tips to care for flower arrangements...
1. Feed your flowers...
When you pick up flowers at the grocery store do you use the flower food packet that comes in the bouquet? You should consider it! All that is in there is sugar and a small amount of bleach. The sugar gives the flower the food it is no longer getting from being on a growing, living plant. The bleach actually sterilizes the water in the vase and helps keep bacteria from growing.
2. Cut stems at an angle...
You should always cut the ends of the stems of your flowers and greens at about a 45 degree angle. This will allow more surface area for the flower to absorb water. Using sharp floral shears will allow you to make a more clean cut on every stem.
3. Remove excess leaves...
Make sure that any leaves on the stems of the flowers or greens that fall below the rim of the vase are removed. Any leaves that stay on the stem take up space in the vase and deteriorate in the water. Removing leaves will help keep bacteria from forming and your arrangement will look much nicer.
4. Re-trim the stems...
The stem ends will begin to seal over in the course of a day or two. I suggest that daily you take your arrangement out of the vase, hold like a bouquet, and re-trim the ends.
5. Give fresh water daily...
Every 1-2 days you should change the water in the vase. Grab the arrangement and hold it like a bouquet and simply empty the water out of the vase and then add more. If you have any extra flower food you can add some more to the fresh water. This is also the perfect time to re-trim the ends of the stems.
There you go! Easy and will extend the vase life of your flowers!
If you're looking to learn more about flower design check out some of my tutorials:
