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Caring for your beautiful blooms

posted Nov 7, 2010 5:37 PM by Ben Anderson
Written By: North Raleigh Florist

Whether you are the sender or the recipient, fresh cut flowers make everyone feel good. They are a beautiful vehicle for our emotions when words just aren’t enough.  I love you, I’m sorry, congratulations, or get well soon always sound better when said with flowers.

Sumptuous hot house orchids delivered from your local florist or a fist full of daisies from a child can have the same heart warming effect.

Will they last? With the right care, your fresh cut flowers should last up to a week or more, depending on the type of flower. One of our expert flower handlers at North Raleigh Florist has put together the do’s and don’ts for prolonging your enjoyment of these beautiful blooms.

Here are the tips:

  • Change the water in a vase arrangement every 2 days — don’t just top it off. This is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your flowers looking fresh.
  • Add water to floral foam arrangements daily (even if the foam feels wet, the flowers need a constant draw of water to stay alive)
  • Use plain, lukewarm water for most cut flowers, but use cold water for bulb flowers, such as daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips.
  • Keep flowers out of direct sunlight
  • Display them away from heat and AC vents as they will dry out quicker, this is true for tops of televisions and other appliances that give off heat
  • Give daffodils their own vase — daffodil stems give off a compound that is toxic to other flowers.
  • Keep cut flowers away from fruit (especially in the frig), which releases a gas that causes flowers to age faster.
  • Recut the stems of flowers in vased arrangements when you change the water.

Also keep in mind some flower varieties and styles of arrangements just last longer than others.  Hardy carnations are one of the longest lasting flowers and with proper care could stay vibrant up to two weeks, where as certain varieties of Roses, with their delicate beauty, can start to fade in about four days. However, any fresh flowers delivered from your florist should still look beautiful 3 days later with minimal care.