How To Maximize The Life of Fresh Bouquets
Flowers are always a meaningful and appropriate gift for any special occasion and a gallant gesture of appreciation when there is nothing remarkable to celebrate. An artfully arranged bouquet of fresh vibrant blooms can add extra color and joy to any environment and put a happy smile on everyone who admires them.
Whether you have received a luxurious bunch from the global flower delivery service or purchased a lovely design from a local florist, you will surely want to feast your eyes with the gentle aesthetics of flower heads for as long as possible.
Though natural flowers are one of the most fascinating things in the world, they are indeed perishable. Fortunately, there are many proven tricks on how you can make your just-cut flowers live much longer. We are revealing major secrets of international florists of how to expand the longevity of bouquets.
How to Take Care of Your Arrangement
Professional florists that provide international flower delivery know all the ins and outs of how to keep flowers in their freshest and finest for a long while. Here are some tried-and-true tips to help you enjoy the freshness of your blooms longer.
Cutting stems
One of the serious mistakes that many people commit after receiving a fresh bunch is not cutting the stems before placing the flowers into the vase. Use a garden pruner to shear 2-3 centimeters off, making sure you cut at an angle. When stems are cut at an angle, they can better absorb water because they do not sit flat on the bottom of the vase. After the initial clipping, remember to shear the stems each alternate day.
Pruning
Another nifty trick to expand the longevity of your gorgeous fresh bouquet is by removing all leaves below the waterline. Such a treatment will make your bunch look absolutely delightful and will also prevent the growth of bacteria.
Certain flower species (roses, for example) have protective petals around the bud (the outermost whorl of a flower containing 2-3 petals). Removing these guard petals will allow the flower head to burgeon fully. After the first pruning, remember to remove spoiled foliage and petals every day to fend bacterial rot.
Watering
Even cut flowers need water, but you want to stay wise with watering. Your flowers will not stay alive long without liquid, especially after their stems have been clipped. Choose a clean vase, fill it with lukewarm water, and add powdered flower food to it. Follow the instructions on the flower food packet leaflet to ensure the water is not over-concentrated or too diluted. Periodically washing the vase and changing flower food is the key to the vivacity of your gorgeous flower arrangement.
Avoid Extremes
Receiving a mesmerizing bouquet from a local or global flower delivery service is always a pleasant surprise, so you will surely want to give your bunch a generous dose of TLC. Your flowers will stay fresh longer in an environment with a moderately cold temperature. Avoid leaving fresh flowers exposed to direct sunlight or near machines that produce heat (such as a refrigerator or a toaster).
You should also avoid locations such as open windows, HVAC units, and ceiling fans, as flowers can dehydrate quickly near such areas. Also, do not place the bouquet next to the fruit. Yes, you’ve got it right. While ripening, fruits begin to emanate ethylene gas, a toxic substance that can affect the longevity of your fresh bouquet.
Well, these have been general recommendations on how to keep your natural flowers alive for a longer period. Here are also a bunch of home remedies that are believed to do wonders to your floral arrangement. So, if you are sending flowers internationally, you may clue your recipient in on how to prolong the life service of luxurious blooms.
Pick the Right Vessel
A well-chosen vase or container plays an important role in the vitality of your flower arrangement. If the hole is too narrow, the stems may feel tight or even squashed. You can either remove a few stems to get a smaller arrangement or opt for a larger vessel. If the neck of your vase is too wide, then the bouquet will not have any streamlined shape and will look messy.
If you wish the heads to open up quickly, consider placing the flowers in warm water rather than cold. Warmer temperatures will make the flower unfold easier. But remember that chilled water is better at keeping cut flowers unfading.
Funny Ways to Prolong the Life of Cut Flowers
While it is extremely easy to order international flower delivery when you have a reliable partner like myglobalflowers.com to guide you throughout the process, keeping cut flowers shining can be quite tricky. On the bright side, there are a few tip-top practices that can help you enjoy your bouquet during long weeks.
- Apple cider vinegar. We all want to keep fresh flowers around for as long as possible, and there are some amazing (and pretty feasible) methods to achieve this. One way is to mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar with water and add this cocktail to a vase with flowers. Make sure to change the water (and add more vinegar and sugar, of course) every few days to keep your flowers healthy. Vinegar will prevent the multiplication of malicious bacteria, while sugar will provide nutrients for the blooms.
- Soda. Never throw away the last drops of soda, but put it into good use for the enhanced beauty of your bouquet. Add about 1/4 cup of soda into the vase accommodating your divine flowers. The sweetness of the soda will provide excellent nutrition for the blooms, making them last longer and smell intense, too. Note: if you have a transparent vase and want to maintain the water crystal-clear, consider using a clean soda drink like Sprite.
- Alcohol. The secret to the longevity of cut flowers revolves around minimizing bacterial growth in the water and providing nourishment that is very close to the environment where the flower grew before being cut. Add a few drops of vodka (or any clear spirit) to a vase for an antibacterial effect along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Change the water every few days, each time refreshing the vodka and sugar. The ability of alcohol to inhibit the production of ethylene, a ripening gas that helps plants ripen, slows down the wilting of flowers, so you can admire beautiful stems much longer.
- Aspirin. A powerful remedy against pain and fever, aspirin also proves to help fresh flowers stay in great condition longer. Aspirin can lower the pH level of water so that stems can absorb it better. The chemical is also known to prevent withering. Crush one tablet of aspirin into the vase with a bouquet to let the flowers delight you for a few days more.
- Bleach. Freshly-cut flowers will not wilt for a long time if you add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per liter of water in a vase. Another popular recipe suggests adding 3 drops of bleach and 1 teaspoon of sugar to 1 liter of water. It will also prevent water from clouding and stop the growth of bacteria.
- Metal coins. Adding a copper or silver coin to your vase with an arrangement will do a trick. Metals like copper and silver are famous acidifiers that fight bacteria and purify the water.
- Flower food. Well-trained international florists are fully aware of the ability of flower food to keep fresh blooms adorable for weeks. Adding one packet to the vase will do much good for the bouquet.
- Crisp temperatures. The cold is the best means of preservation. Surprisingly, but fresh flowers feel very good in cooler climates because low temperatures help to slow the process of aging. So put your flowers in the fridge at night to preserve their beauty for a long while.
Now that you know some nifty tricks to enhance the longevity of your flowers, you can buy a bouquet for yourself or order a global flowers delivery for your loved ones. My Global Flowers is a marketplace of astonishing flowers and arrangements for any celebration and any person whom you want to delight.