Tips and Tricks to Make Your Flowers Last Longer

You grab some fresh flowers while shopping....
You just had wrapped flowers delivered to you...
How do I make them last?

Here are some tip and tricks that we use at our flower shop, Bank of Memories & Flowers.

Loose fresh cut flowers need water within an hour, anything longer will die or have a shorter life expectancy.  Sometimes we have a few guys that stop in the shop to pick up some flowers for their wife.  We ask if they will be getting their flowers in water within an hour.  They say" The flowers will be ok if I put them in the fridge till tomorrow or in the cool basement, right?" Even if loose flowers are in a refrigerator, they still need water.

Tip Number One:  Have fresh, room temperature water ready in a clean vase. Add a few drops of bleach to the water.  This will slow the process of bacteria growing in the water.  

Tip Number Two:  Remove all foliage/leaves from the flower stem that will be under water.  Having foliage/leaves under the water level will result in fast bacteria growth.  Leaves will be come mushy within days. 

Tip Number Three:  All flowers need a fresh cut with a knife or clippers and need to be placed in water SECONDS after you cut them. (Good thing we have our vase ready!)  Cut the stems on an angle.  At the bottom of the flower stem, you will see it begin to harden and seal up.  The stem does this to protect themselves from the air and to keep the moisture in. Cut, place in water and they will begin to drink.

Tip Number Four:  After you have designed your flowers, do not place your flowers in a sunny area, draft, on top of a TV, near a heating vent or left in a car.

Tip Number Five:  If you really want them to last (this means the difference between 5 days and 2 weeks)...replace the water (like Tip One) and re-cut the stems every other day.

Give this a try and tell me what you think.  You will be amazed! Some of my customers have reported that their flowers have lasted 3 weeks or more.

*Note: Some flower variety last longer then others.  Carnations, daises and altroemeria are naturally longer lasting compared to gerbera daises and dahlias.