I love flowers, well you would as a florist wouldn't you! But they don't have a long shelf life when they are cut. So here are some tips to keeping them fresher longer.
1. Get flowers into water as quickly as you can. It's amazing how quickly flowers can begin to wilt when deprived of water. If you are buying from a florist they can put the flowers into water if you are not going straight home.
2. Remove all leaves below the waterline. Wet leaves very quickly begin to rot and can contaminate the water and smell horrid. In fact if you remove most of the leaves it will help your flowers last longer as the water is going up to the flower head and not into the leaf.
3. Cut stems at an angle with a sharp knife or seccateurs. This will allow more water to be drawn up the stem. A flat cut will make the stem sit flush to the bottom of the vase and will stop the flowers from drinking, where as an angled cut will allow water to still be taken up.
4. Place your flowers away from direct heat. Do not put them in direct sunlight or on top of radiators etc. flowers like to be cool!
5. Change the water frequently, daily if possible. Flowers like clean water!
6. Make sure the jugs or vases are clean. Wash them with warm soapy water to get rid of any mould or mildew.
Some pictures taken from Pinterest.
7. Placing a drop of bleach or 2tsp of sugar and 2 tsp of white vinegar or the food packet that comes with your flowers helps to extend their bloom time.
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