If you’re passionate about flower arranging like me then you’ll understand the frustration of creating a beautiful and time consuming arrangement for it not to last more than a few days. I’ve collected the best tips to ensure that you give your cut flowers the best chance of staying fresher for longer. You’ll be pleased to know that none of these tips take much time and have a very, very low difficulty rating!
Let’s begin with preparation. Preparing your flowers for arranging is something that many people overlook to begin with. Once cut, it is important to avoid your flowers losing too much water. As soon as I get inside, whether the flowers have been cut or purchased, I ensure that I trim the stems very slightly at a diagonal angle. Cutting the stems diagonally increases the flower’s ability to drink water, making them hydrate quicker. Don’t take too much off here as it may cause a dilemma later on when you trim your stems to fit your vase! Remember, you can’t go back if you cut the stems too short.
It is recommended that you keep the flowers in a cool environment when storing so that they don’t lose too much water. If you grow your own flowers, you could try cutting your flowers at a cooler time of day, such as early morning or lighter evenings. This will give your flowers the best chance of holding water as they won't have dried out in the daytime sun.
To prepare your flowers for the vase, remove any leaves that will appear below the waterline. If left, wet leaves will start to rot and cause bacteria to grow within the vase. Any bacteria in your vase will cause your flowers to wilt or rot. Therefore, it's very important to keep your containers clean. Make sure that your vase is kept clean and water is replaced every other day to keep your cut flowers fresher for longer.
Prior to arranging, be sure to fill your vase with two thirds of water. You can also mix in a sachet of flower food. Flower food is essentially a formula created to prevent bacteria from growing in your vase. Typically, you’d expect to find a little pouch of flower food with your flowers if you purchased them. However, with cut flowers you may wish to make your own. As with most things, there are plenty of homemade remedies and recipes for “flower food” that you can try at home, but to keep things easy I’ll begin with just this one: add 1 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon bleach and mix it into the vase water.
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