Five Tips for a Long Lasting Bouquet

By Lisa Surraco

You bring your gorgeous blooms home and you want them to stay fresh forever! While we can’t promise you forever, we can help you keep them fresh for longer with these tips.

Clean Vase
The first thing you want to do is clean your vase thoroughly with warm soapy water before putting the stems in it, so they can thrive and last longer.

Cool/Fresh Water
Flowers love the cold and will last longer in a cool environment, so make sure to use cool, ideally filtered water for your bouquet. Avoid direct sunlight or any direct exposure to your heater or air conditioner. However, flowers love cold, so the colder the room is, the longer they will last.

Cut Stems
Next, you’ll want to make sure you cut the stems of your bouquet and change the water. A fresh cut will remove blockage that forms in stems from sitting in water with other flowers (not all flowers get along
​:( ) . With every new cut, the water should be changed so the flowers can absorb clean water. We recommend cutting and changing the water every 2 days. Changing the water can also help eliminate bacteria that seeps from flowers that aren’t as fresh.

Remove Dying Stems
When changing the water, you want to pay attention to stems that are starting to wilt. Removing dying or wilting stems will help the rest of your bouquet stay fresh for longer. Dying flowers will start to denigrate in the water and can contaminate other flowers. Additionally, dying stems can start to mold, causing a foul smell so it is best to remove bad stems to keep your bouquet smelling good and fresh.

Our Florence arrangement with lush pink roses and veronica!

Flower Food 
Flowers, like any living organism, also need a source of food to survive. Flower food that florists use often contain bleach to help eliminate bacteria, but there are other ingredients you can use at home to make DIY flower food.
Recipes for Flower Food

• Lemon Lime Soda: One part Lemon Lime Soda and three parts water. The acidity and sugar in the soda give the flowers nutrients they need to stay fresh.
  
• Apple Cider Vinegar and Sugar: Directly add one teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to the water. The vinegar will kill off bacteria and fungi that would harm the flowers.​