Valentine’s Day may be behind us, but hopefully there will still be plenty of opportunities for your loved ones to shower you with fresh flowers this spring. The longer your flowers look fresh and vibrant, the better. Here are some helpful tips that will give your flowers an added lease on life:
- Before you arrange your flowers in the vase, gently pull off any wilted petals or leaves and remove any greenery on the stems that will end up being under the water level. This will also keep the water cleaner.
- It helps to trim the stems of your flowers a little bit every couple of days to help them absorb water and nutrients. What you might not know is that using a paring knife, rather than scissors, will stop you from squishing the stem and restricting the flower’s water intake. The best way to cut the stems is under running water or in a bowl of water, at a 45 degree angle. This will help prevent extra air from going into the stems.
- Flowers consistently need water, so keep the water level in the vase full. Flowers can also be very vulnerable to the bacteria that build up in the vase. For this reason, we recommend changing the water every couple of days. This is easily done by carefully tipping the vase over a sink to let the water drain without disturbing your arrangement. Then re-fill the vase by gently pouring fresh water in.
- It can also help to place a penny into the bottom of the vase. The copper is believed to act like an acidifier, which will prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. This works especially well with tulips.
- Now here’s one you may well not have heard before: pour a quarter of a cup of pop into the water with the flowers in the vase. The sugar in the drink will have an invigorating effect for your flowers. If your vase is clear glass than we’d recommend using something like 7-Up or Sprite, which isn’t going to colour the water.
Follow these tips and you can be sure your flowers will stay beautiful for longer.
