20th March, 2021
Tips for Longer Lasting Flowers!
We all want our flowers to look good for as long as possible, whether you picked them from the garden or popped to your local florist for your flowery fix.
IF YOU ARE BUYING FLOWERS from your local Shrewsbury florist your flowers should be fresh and well conditioned for you.
Conditioning simply means the flowers have had their lower foliage removed; they will be cut at a 45-degree angle and had a good long drink in cool water with flower food.
Once you arrive home get your flowers into water before you take your coat off!
IF YOU ARE PICKING FLOWERS FROM YOUR GARDEN have a bucket of deep water ready so you can pick and drop them into the bucket, leave them for a good two hours in a cool place before being tempted to arrange them in a vase.
VASE LIFE!
Use a clean vase; even if you cleaned the vase before putting it away re clean it with bleach and water. The smallest bit of bacteria will affect your flowers and shorten their life. Rinse your vase well and fill with tepid water.
Add your flower food packet or better still make your own use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of bleach.
Re-cut the stems at a 45-degree angle, cutting them at this angle means they don’t sit on the bottom of the vase, it allows them to be able to take up water successfully.
Remove the leaves that are going to be below the water line, foliage in the water breaks down and causes bacteria to grow which will contaminate your flowers very quickly.
Enjoy arranging your flowers and keep them away for a direct heat source, direct sunlight and your fruit bowl – ripening fruit will do just that to your flowers! Fruit emits a gas called ethylene that causes flowers to age more rapidly.
Change the water in your flowers and snip the ends frequently, at least every other day.