7 Simple Ways to Extend the Life of Your Bouquet
You work hard for your money, so you want good value for the things you buy. Occasionally, first-time customers at our farmers market stall will ask whether our flowers will last for the party they are hosting the next day. Sadly, these customers are probably speaking from experience after purchasing flowers from a big box store..
At Pheasant Run Farm, we’re entering our 12th growing season and have learned a lot about extending the vase life of flowers along the way. We want to share with you tried-and-true tips to help you get the most out of your investment in “soul” food.
1. Recut the stems
You’ve been out and about at the farmers market. While we wrap your arrangement in water-proof paper to help keep moisture around the stems, a good, fresh cut will open up those stems again to hydrate thoroughly. Cutting the stems at an angle provides more surface area for the flower to take up water. If your flowers have been out of water for a long period of time, it’s a good idea to submerge the end of the stem while making the fresh cut—the flower will pull up water, not air, into the stem.
2. Use a sparkling clean vase and fresh water
Subscribe to the old adage, “Keep your vase as clean as your tea cup.” In other words, you shouldn’t be wary about drinking out of one of your vases. A flower is an organic, living thing—keep that cut end of the stem as clean as possible to discourage growth of bacteria.
Think of it this way: if you cut your finger, you wouldn’t wash the cut with dirty water or wrap it in a dingy bandage. The same holds true for your flowers.
3. Remove any leaves below the water line of the vase.
The difference between your cut finger and a cut flower is that the flower—because it has been cut—is no longer a living thing. Bacteria love to grow in moist environments, so removing those leaves will eliminate places bacteria can grow.
4. Recut the stems every few days
No matter how vigilant you are, because the flower is no longer a living thing, bacteria is going to grow on the cut end of the stem and clog it. Giving those stems a fresh cut will remove the “clog” of bacteria, opening the stems up again to hydrate. Rinse your vase and fill it with clean water to complete this step.
Have you ever had the misfortune of encountering a smelly, slimy floral arrangement? That’s the bacteria at work, unchecked. Ew.
5. Place your arrangement in a cool location away from bright sunlight
The cooler the location, the longer the flowers will last. Customers who have purchased our blooms for a special event, such as a wedding, often put their arrangements in a cool basement to ensure maximum freshness.
6. Remove blossoms that are past their prime
Some flowers just have a longer vase life than others. Or some have multiple blooms on a stem. Remove the flowers that are starting to show their age and gently snip away any spent blooms to keep your arrangement looking fresh.
7. Buy flowers from a local farmer
Most flowers you find in a big box store have traveled literally thousands of miles before they reach their end destination—often out of water. We have picked and conditioned each bloom with you—our customer and neighbor—in mind.
If you can’t buy from a local flower farmer, purchase from florists who do. The dollars you spend locally have a huge impact on your community.
Bonus Tip: Don’t feel guilty!
While these tips will help extend the vase life of your flowers, please don’t feel obligated to do all these steps if you don’t have time. We regularly do “flower experiments” of our own where we abuse floral arrangements on our own kitchen table by ignoring these tips. Our findings? You’re still going to have an awesome bouquet of flowers to enjoy for a week or more—that’s the benefit of buying fresh and local.
