Simple Ways to Keep Flowers Fresh

All great things must come to an end – like the many occasions that inspire us to give flowers, from anniversaries to birthdays, get-well-soon wishes to promotions at work, flowers do not last forever. However, with a few pro tips, you can add extraordinary mileage to your favorite bouquets, arrangements, and floral gifts. We know that our customers value lasting, vibrant blooms that keep their shape, scent, and sense of hope. Our guide to making flowers last will change the way you think about a floral purchase – and will bring a delightful second wind to the cut blooms you take home. 

Pro Tips to Keep Flowers Fresher, Longer

·     It starts the moment you bring them home. One thing is sure – plunking a fresh bouquet into a vase half-full of water is not going to keep your flowers happy. Before you place your flowers, trim the stems. Like us, flowers have a vascular system that moves water, oxygen, and other nutrients up from the base of their stems to their blooms. If you forget this crucial first step, air entering the exposed base will block them from absorbing water. Cut them to a length appropriate for the vase you’re putting them in to maximize the amount of the stem that is submerged in water. Be sure to snip off at least a half-inch. Use garden shears or sharp kitchen scissors to prevent any shredding, and cut at an angle to allow the stem to sit easily at the base of your vase. Don’t be afraid to use a low vase! We love glass cube vases for the minimal effect they give to florals and accents. Yes – a lower vase means cutting down stems significantly – they are also a way to get creative with your flowers!

·     Don’t wait to put your flowers in water. At the first possible opportunity, place your flowers in water. Using cool water will almost always help flowers to live longer. However, if you’re working with an unopened bloom and want to speed it along, a bit of warm water will likely help it open up, but it will also shorten its life. Your vase should be at least 2/3 full of freshwater for flowers to be able to absorb what they need.

·      Be sure to use a clean vase. Does your favorite vase sit high on a shelf, gathering dust? Did you do more than rinse after you disposed of your last bouquet? Give fresh flowers a clean, fresh home to eliminate harmful bacteria. Scrub with a small amount of diluted bleach, then rinse thoroughly.

·     Prune away leaves and foliage. A good rule of thumb to follow is that all that should sit below the waterline are stems. When you’re cutting down your stems, be sure also to cut down any leaves or additional plant filler that’s dangling in the water. When these accouterments soak up water, they become goopy, moldy, and bacteria-ridden – which is bound to shorten the life of the blooms they’re snuggled in with. Make pruning a habit – when you see a wilted piece of plant, remove it from the vase. Similarly, some flowers live longer than others. If some of your flowers begin to wither before others, get rid of them so that the longer-living flowers can thrive. 

·     Change your flowers’ water every two days. Nobody wants to drink an old glass of water – the same goes for your flowers. The longer water sits, the more likely it is to breed bacteria and algae. Every two days, take your flowers out of the vase, trim any rotting or soggy ends from the stems’ base, clean your vase thoroughly, and replace the flowers with fresh water. This is also a great time to add plant food. 

·     Put your flowers to bed in the fridge. You’ve seen refrigerated flowers at florists – why not take a trick from them? Refrigerating your bouquet while you’re sleeping and unable to enjoy it anyway is a great way to extend a flower’s life. This is particularly true in the summer, or whenever the indoor temperatures are unusually high.  

·     Add supplements to the water. Flower and decoration enthusiasts are known for adding all sorts of household goods to flowers when trying to prolong their lives. From coins to bleach, vinegar to hairspray, aspirin to dish soap – you name it, someone has tried it. While a popular additive, bleach is actually more effective at keeping your vase clean than it is at maintaining healthy flowers. We still recommend bleach for cleaning and re-cleaning your vase; we remain unconvinced that it is a valuable additive for flowers. Plus, who wants their bouquet to smell like chemicals? Interestingly, clear, lemon-lime soda is a favorite for adding to flowers’ freshness. The carbonation and sugar make for a helpful supplement to plant food. A crushed tablet of Vitamin C is also known to prolong flowers’ freshness.