The Fresh Flower Care Guide

There are a lot of weird and wonderful old wives tales on how to keep your flowers looking fresh for longer - from adding sugar, aspirin and even coins to water….here at The Topiary Tree Florist, we’re no exception. However, we do have some solid, tried and tested advice on how to make sure your flowers look fabulous for longer.

Here’s our no-nonsense advice on everything you need to know about caring for your flowers at home.

Keep fresh flowers away from drafts and extreme temperatures, which can quickly dry out the flowers and cause wilting. Avoid placing fresh blooms in windowsills and other areas with full sun where flowers can wilt due to overheating. It’s not always easy to keep fresh blooms cool, even more so in the winter when central heating can wreak havoc with your blooms.

Using flower food can help to extend the life of your flowers by providing them with essential nutrients that they aren’t able to absorb from water alone. Most products also include an agent to keep harmful bacteria at bay.

Do not place fresh flowers near fruit, vegetables or in the path of cigarette smoke. The ethylene gas is detrimental to many flower types. Ethylene is an odourless, invisible gas produced by wilting or rotting flowers, foliage and fruits which in turn, causes fresh materials to wilt, too.

Snipping off 1-3 inches at a 45˚ angle every other day or so will keep the stems open and absorbing what they need. Cutting at an angle, as opposed to straight across the stem, creates a larger surface area to give your flowers more access to water.

All flower and foliage stems should be submerged. Flowers stay fresher, longer when they can get a drink!

Watch your water. When it becomes cloudy it’s time to change it out. First remove any dead or dying flowers. After carefully removing the good flowers, clean the vase thoroughly with soapy water to remove any bacteria that could cause the fresh flowers to deteriorate even quicker. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Replace the water and mix in the flower food provided by your florist, according to the instructions on the packet.

If your flowers came in a basket or other container with foam, add fresh water every day.

The Topiary Tree Florist x