Getting the Bouquet Into Water
Buy a bouquet that has long-lasting flower varieties. Unfortunately, some flowers just don't last long once you cut them and put them in a vase because their petals are thinner or more delicate. Avoid bouquets that have irises, tulips, daffodils, or hyacinths. Instead, choose arrangements that have hardier flowers like:Tip: When you're buying the bouquet, look for flowers that are perky and don't have droopy leaves or stems. If you find bouquets that have unopened buds, more flowers will open gradually when you bring them home. Roses Lilies Freesia Daisies Sunflowers Carnations Chrysanthemums
Hold stems under the tap and cut at an angle 1 in (2.5 cm) from the ends. Remove the packaging from the bouquet and turn on the tap. Hold the stems under lukewarm running water and use sharp pruners or scissors to cut the ends of the stems at an angle. Trim at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the bottom off of the stem so it can begin to draw up water. In most cases, you'll have to really cut down the stems so the bouquet fits into your vase. Hold up a stem next to your vase so you know how much to cut from the stem.
Trim the leaves from the stems to prevent them from falling into the water. Once you've cut the flower stems to size, snip off almost all of the leaves from the stems. It's fine to leave a couple that are directly below the flower itself, but leaves on the lower stem can easily fall into the water and cause bacteria to grow. If bacteria starts to grow in the water, it causes the ends of the stems to close up so they don't draw up water.
Wash a vase with soapy water and rinse it with water. You might have several vases on the shelf that are covered with dust. Instead of just wiping them off, take a minute to wash the inside and outside with hot soapy water. Then, rinse the entire vase to remove the suds. Washing the vase thoroughly removes bacteria that could make your flowers wilt faster. Although you can use any style of vase for your flowers, choose one that has an opening that's wide enough to easily fit all of the stems. If you crowd or shove the stems into a narrow vase, you could damage them.
Fill the vase with lukewarm water and stir in the flower food. Pour in enough lukewarm water to fill your vase 1/2 to 3/4 full. Then, open the powdered food packet that came with the bouquet and add it to the water. Stir the water until the powder is dissolved.Tip: It's easy to make your own batch of flower food with things you already have on hand. Pour 1 US quart (0.95 L) of lukewarm water into a pitcher and stir in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon (12 g) of sugar, and ⁄2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of bleach. If your bouquet has flowers that grew from bulbs, like tulips or hyacinths, use cold water instead. The flower food contains chemicals that kill bacteria, an acid that helps the stem suck up water, and sugar that feeds the flowers. Adding a drop of bleach to the water can help kill bacteria so your flowers last longer.
Place the bouquet into the vase so the stem ends are submerged. Transfer your trimmed flowers to the vase with the flower food solution. Look inside the vase to ensure that the bottom of the stems are completely in the water or they may dry out and your flowers will wilt. If you left a few leaves on the stems and they fall into the water, take them out immediately so they don't disintegrate in the water and introduce bacteria.
Caring for the Bouquet
Place the vase of flowers out of direct sunlight. It might be tempting to set your beautiful flowers in front of a sunny window, but the direct sunlight can fade the petals or cause the flowers to droop. If you do want to place the bouquet in a window, pull a curtain across it during the brightest part of the day so your flowers get a little protection.
Set the bouquet in a cool spot so the flowers last longer. Flowers do best if they're displayed in a room that's between 65 and 72 °F (18 and 22 °C). Don't put the vase on top of a warm appliance or near a heater, since these can dry out the petals. Move strong fans away from the bouquet so they don't blow directly on the flowers. Strong wind or fans can blow the petals off.
Refrigerate your bouquet overnight so it stays fresh. If you really want to put the flowers in a warm or sunny spot during the day, move them to a cool space, such as the refrigerator, in the evening and overnight. Then, put them back in the warmer space in the morning. You may need to adjust the shelves in your fridge so you can fit the vase without bending the flowers.
Avoid displaying the bouquet near fresh produce. Your bouquet might look beautiful on the counter next to your fruit bowl, but the produce can make your flowers wilt faster. Fresh fruits and vegetables release ethylene, a gas that causes the buds to fall off and the petals to wilt.
Replace the water every day. Pour out the old water in the vase once a day. Then, clean out your vase and fill it with fresh water and flower food before you put the bouquet back in. Now's a good time to remove any wilted or dying flowers. Cloudy, yellow water and bad smells are a sign that bacteria is growing in the water.
Trim ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) from the stems every 3 days. Over time, the stem ends will begin to close up and they won't draw up water very well. To help your bouquet stay fresh looking, take the flowers out and trim the stems under running water every few days.Did You Know? Air can also get trapped in the stems, which causes the flower to wilt prematurely. Sometimes, just trimming the stems can fix this so your flower perks up.
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