A beautiful bouquet deserves to last. With a few minutes of care, most fresh flowers stay lovely for a week or more. Here’s what we tell every customer, plus a few tips specific to life in Edmonton.
1. Get them into water quickly
Wrapped bouquets are hydrated and happy for a few hours, but the sooner they’re in a vase, the better. If you can’t do it right away, keep them somewhere cool and out of the sun.
2. Use a clean vase
Bacteria are the number one reason flowers fade early. Wash your vase with warm soapy water and rinse it well before using it.
3. Trim the stems
Cut about 2 cm off each stem at an angle using sharp scissors or a knife. The angle gives the stem more surface to drink from and stops it sitting flat on the bottom of the vase.
4. Remove leaves below the water line
Leaves sitting in water rot quickly and cloud the water. Strip off anything that would sit below the surface.
5. Use cool water and flower food
Fill the vase with cool, fresh water and add the flower food if you have it. Change the water every two days, and give the stems a fresh trim each time.
6. Mind the spot
Keep flowers away from:
- Direct sunlight
- Heaters, fireplaces and vents
- Ripening fruit, which releases a gas that makes flowers age faster
The Edmonton factor: dry air
Edmonton homes get very dry, especially in winter when the furnace is running. Dry air pulls moisture from petals.
- Top up the vase daily, because stems drink more in dry air.
- Keep flowers away from forced-air vents.
- Lightly mist hydrangeas. They drink through their petals as well as their stems.
Flower-specific tips
Roses: If a rose head starts to droop, re-cut the stem and place it in warm (not hot) water for an hour. It often perks right back up.
Lilies: Lilies keep opening for days, which is part of their charm. Gently remove the orange pollen anthers as the flowers open, to prevent stains on petals, tablecloths and clothes. Important: lilies are toxic to cats, so keep them well away from feline friends.
Hydrangeas: These are thirsty! If they wilt, submerge the whole head in cool water for 30 minutes.
Carnations and chrysanthemums: Two of the longest-lasting flowers around. With fresh water they can last up to two weeks.
Keeping a wrapped bouquet beautiful
Love the wrapping? Many of our customers keep the bouquet wrapped for a day or two for photos. If you do:
- Keep the bottom of the stems in water, or untie and add water to the wrap if it’s a water-holding design
- Display it somewhere cool
- Move it into a vase within a day or two
Bringing flowers home in winter
If you pick up your bouquet on a cold day, keep it wrapped and get it into the car quickly. Petals can be damaged by just a few minutes in freezing temperatures. We wrote a full guide on sending flowers in an Edmonton winter.
Shop long-lasting bouquets or browse lily bouquets, which keep blooming for days.
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