Caring for Your Bouquet: Tips and Tricks

July 12, 2023 • Written by James Chen • Plant Care
Bouquet care illustration

Proper care can extend the life of your bouquet by up to a week

Receiving a beautiful bouquet is a joy, but watching it wilt prematurely can be disappointing. At SprinLavat, we want your flowers to bring happiness for as long as possible. With over a decade of floristry experience, we've compiled our most effective tips for extending the life of your cut flowers.

First Steps: What to Do When You Receive Flowers

The first hour after receiving flowers is crucial for their longevity. Here's what to do immediately:

1. Unwrap Carefully

Many bouquets come wrapped in paper, cellophane, or other materials. Remove this wrapping gently, being careful not to damage stems or blooms. However, if your flowers arrived in a water-filled container or aqua pack, leave them in this until you're ready to arrange them.

Florist Tip:

If you can't attend to your flowers immediately, keep them in a cool place away from direct sunlight, heaters, and ripening fruit until you're ready to prepare them properly.

2. Prepare Your Vase

Choose a clean vase appropriate for your bouquet's size. A good rule of thumb is that the height of your vase should be about one-third of the total height of your finished arrangement. Wash your vase thoroughly with soap and warm water, then rinse well to remove any soap residue which can harm the flowers.

3. Fill with Room Temperature Water

Contrary to popular belief, most flowers prefer room temperature water rather than cold. Fill your vase about two-thirds full with fresh, clean tap water. If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, consider using filtered water.

4. Add Flower Food

If your bouquet came with a packet of flower food, add it to the water following the package instructions. These commercial preservatives contain:

If you don't have commercial flower food, you can make a simple homemade version by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of household bleach, and 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice to 1 liter of water.

Preparing Your Flowers for the Vase

Before placing your flowers in water, they need proper preparation to maximize water uptake.

1. Trim the Stems

This is perhaps the most important step. Always cut at least 2-3 cm off each stem at a 45-degree angle using sharp scissors or secateurs. Cutting at an angle increases the surface area for water absorption and prevents the stems from sitting flat on the bottom of the vase, which would block water uptake.

Florist Tip:

For best results, cut the stems under running water or while submerged in a bowl of water. This prevents air bubbles from forming in the stem, which can block water absorption.

2. Remove Lower Foliage

Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline in your vase. Submerged leaves rot quickly, promoting bacterial growth which can significantly shorten the life of your flowers.

3. Special Treatments for Specific Flowers

Some flowers benefit from special treatments:

Daily Care for Maximum Longevity

Once your flowers are beautifully arranged, follow these daily care tips to keep them fresh as long as possible.

1. Location, Location, Location

Where you place your flowers makes a significant difference to their lifespan:

2. Water Maintenance

Proper water care is essential:

Florist Tip:

The cloudier your vase water becomes, the more frequently you should change it. Cloudy water is a sign of bacterial growth, which blocks stems and shortens flower life.

3. Regular Maintenance

A little daily attention will help your bouquet look its best:

Flower-Specific Care Tips

Different flowers have unique care requirements. Here are tips for some popular varieties:

Roses

Remove guard petals (the outer petals that may look discolored or damaged) to reveal the perfect blooms beneath. If rose heads start to droop, recut stems and place in about 2 inches of warm water for an hour before returning to the vase.

Tulips

Tulips continue to grow in the vase and tend to bend toward light. Turn your vase daily and keep water levels higher than for other flowers, as tulips are thirsty blooms. Adding a copper penny to the vase can help keep tulips standing tall.

Lilies

Remove the orange/brown anthers as lilies open to prevent pollen stains on petals and furnishings. Cut lilies have a strong scent that some find overwhelming; placing them in a well-ventilated area can help.

Hydrangeas

These thirsty flowers need lots of water and benefit from misting. If they wilt, submerge the entire flower head in cool water for 30 minutes, then recut the stem before returning to the vase.

Peonies

Cut when buds are still fairly tight but showing color. The ideal stage is when they feel like soft marshmallows to the touch. Store peonies in a cool place overnight to slow their opening.

Extending the Joy: Creative Uses for Aging Flowers

Even as your bouquet begins to fade, there are ways to continue enjoying its beauty:

Create Petite Arrangements

As some stems begin to fade, remove the best remaining blooms and create small arrangements in bud vases or teacups for bedside tables or bathroom counters.

Dry Your Favorites

Many flowers dry beautifully. Hang small bunches upside down in a dark, dry place with good air circulation. Roses, lavender, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus are particularly good candidates for drying.

Press Flowers

Select perfect blooms and press them between the pages of a heavy book with absorbent paper on either side. Once dried, these can be used for craft projects, framed as artwork, or added to handmade cards.

Make Potpourri

Dry petals on a paper towel in a warm, dry place, then mix with a few drops of essential oil and some fixative like orris root for a personalized potpourri.

With proper care, your SprinLavat bouquet should bring joy for many days. Remember that even the most carefully tended cut flowers will eventually fade—this ephemeral quality is part of what makes fresh flowers so special. They remind us to appreciate beauty in the moment and find joy in nature's cycles.

James Chen

Floral Care Specialist at SprinLavat with expertise in extending the life of cut flowers. James has a background in botany and is passionate about helping customers get the most from their floral purchases.

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