You’ve just treated yourself to a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers. You’re enjoying the scent and they look gorgeous in your windowsill. But two days later and they’re a wilting mess. What went wrong?
Flowers are particularly sensitive to a couple of environmental factors. If you’re someone who just cannot get cut flowers to last more than a couple of days, then read on for explanations as to what may be happening.
Heat and Sunlight - yes flowers need sunlight to grow, but once cut, bright sunlight is the enemy of your vase arrangement. The direct sun, think through a windowsill, can scorch the petals and leaves and wilt them very quickly. Flowers also don’t like heat, so place arrangements away from any air vents or radiators.
Drought - to keep your flowers as fresh for as long as possible, you need to be changing and topping up the water in the container often. You should be able to feel water when you dip your finger in the side of the vase. And if you can’t, then it’s time to give your blooms a well-deserved drink! Check water levels daily.
Untrimmed Stems - Do you just plonk and go when you receive a bouquet? The florist takes care of the stems, right? Wrong! You need to ensure that you freshly cut the stems of your flowers directly before placing into a vase. Flower stems close up extremely quickly, so to optimize the uptake of water, and therefore extend the life of your blooms, make sure you trim with a pair of clippers before arranging.
It’s important to know that the average life of cut flowers is around a week if taken care of properly. And, some flowers are naturally longer lasting and more hardy than others. Check out our vase arrangements and hand-tied bouquets here. And if you want to make sure your flowers really go the distance, take a look at our dried and preserved arrangements - fool proof!