Keeping flowers
fresher, for longer.
Whether you have bought yourself a
bouquet of flowers from the florist, or trimmed some fresh cut flowers from
your own garden, you will want to ensure that they last as long as
possible. Given the right care, fresh flowers
can last much longer usual.
The standard requirements are clean water and regular
maintenance and trimming:
- If you are cutting flowers from your garden for an arrangement, consider when you do this, the ideal time of day being early morning or late evening when the temperature is cooler.
- Ensure you trim and tidy the stems of your flowers before you arrange them into your vase, to do this, trim off any excess leaves (i.e. any leaves that will be covered by the vase) or foliage as these will consume energy that your plant will need to blossom. Submerge the stem http://www.flowersbypost.org.uk/ of the flower in water and cut it at an angle a few cm’s from the end, keep the stem submerged for a moment to allow it to soak up some water before arranging the flower in your vase. Repeat this process with all of your flower stems.
- Use a vase big enough to allow the stems room for movement.
- When filling your vase consider using lukewarm water, stems can absorb warm water better than cold water.
- Maintain your flowers, change the water in the vase at least every other day, preferably daily, and each time you change the water re-trim the stem. Always use warm water and remember to add anything included in this list or the below list to the water before putting the flowers back in.
- Avoid placing your flowers near a heat source as this could dry them out.
- As flowers in the arrangement wilt and die, remove them to give the healthier flowers more room and nutrients.
There are a number of unusual,
yet handy tips and hints on how to best the most out of your fresh
flowers. Here is a list of things that
have been known to help preserve the life and enhance the look and fragrance of
fresh flowers:
- Aspirin: Get an empty vase, crush an aspirin and sprinkle it into the base of the vase before adding water. Change the water every couple of days. This will prolong the life of the flowers.
- Bleach Solution: Fill an empty vase with 1 litre of water and add to this ¼ of a teaspoon of bleach, i.e. approx. 1.2ml. Mix this up. This solution will help to keep the flowers fresher.
- A sugar and coin combo: Fill an empty vase with water and add a copper coin and a sugar cube to the water. Stir the combination and add flowers.
- Fizzy, carbonated drinks: Fill your vase with water and add to this approximately 60ml of fizzy carbonated drinks. Consider that any liquid you add will discolour the water, so if your vase is clear or lightly coloured, you may want to use a clear drink, such as lemonade.
- Vodka and sugar shot: Once your vase is filled with water add a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of vodka and mix. This combination reduces the amount of bacteria growing in the water whilst providing nourishment.
- Sugar and Vinegar: Fill your vase with 1 litre of warm water. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar, stir and dissolve this before adding a further 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.
- Hairspray: Once your fresh cut flower arrangement is completed and is in its vase. A final touch is to add some hairspray. Stand back from your flower arrangement and give it a quick spray, on the underside of the leaves and petals, with the hairspray.
Bio:Daisy Hart is a writer and
blogger with great flair for flowers and flower decoration. She is focused on
writing the best possible way and is constantly searching for new sources of
inspiration. Find out here what gives her motivation presently: http://www.flowersbypost.org.uk/birthday-flowers
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