You just received a beautiful bouquet of our local grown flowers — now what? For those who appreciate the beauty of a fresh bouquet of flowers in their home, like myself, there are some simple tips to help prolong their lifespan. If you don’t feel like reading this entire post, the keys I’ve found are: 1.) Fresh water daily! 2.) Fill the vase full of water. 3.) No bright light. 4.) Trim the stems every day or two.
Floral Food. If your flowers are in a vase, they have been nourished with floral food. If you have purchased a wrapped bouquet from the market, the water it has been soaking in has been supplemented with floral food. Once you unwrap the bouquet and transfer it to your own vase, be sure to add at least half of the floral food packet that was provided to you. If you run out, or didn’t receive a food packet, there are homemade versions you can find on the web. Almost all of them recommend sugar and either lemon juice or vinegar and a little bleach. Don’t go overboard with the bleach or you’ll kill them. I’ve used something like this: 1 quart water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar and a few drops of bleach. I’ve also heard it recommended to add a couple pennies to your vase. That may have worked in the past, when pennies were made of copper, but since 1982 they are made of copper-plated zinc.
Keep It Clean. Clean the vase you choose to use to prevent inadvertently introducing bacteria to your flowers. While we typically remove any lower leaves for you, if any remain in the water, be sure to remove them before placing the bouquet in the vase.
Put Them Somewhere Cool. To prolong the life of your flowers, avoid placing them in direct sunlight, near heat sources, or in strong drafts as these can lead to quicker dehydration. Additionally, ensure they are not placed near ripening fruits, as fruits release ethylene gas which can shorten the vase life of your floral arrangement.
Trim, Fresh Water, and Feed. (This is the most important tip, IMO) Every day, or at least every other day, trim the stems of your flowers at a sharp angle; this allows more area for water uptake. Put them immediately back into clean water with floral food, and fill that vase up! This is just something that has seemed to work for me. It’s based on something I read that said they absorb water through the sides of their stems, so logically, the higher the water, the more hydrated they’ll be.
Just like us, flowers thrive in clean water! Most flowers prefer their water the way I like it… tepid, not too cold or hot.
Remove Dying Flowers. When changing the water, after a few days, you may notice some flowers dying. Remove the spent flowers to help the others last longer. Unfortunately, not all flowers have a long vase life. Larger dahlias, peonies, and roses typically last only 4-6 days, while ball dahlias and tulips can last about a week. Filler flowers like zinnias, celosia, and scabiosa generally last 7-10 days.
Enjoy! I hope these tips will help you enjoy your flowers for as long as possible. However, all good things must come to an end. To ensure you never have to go without fresh blooms, consider signing up for a flower subscription. With a flower subscription, you will receive a fresh-picked, large, market-wrapped bouquet every two weeks to keep the beauty flowing in your home.
