What to do when you get your flowers home.
No matter the type of flowers you buy or receive, you’ll get the most out of them if you pay them some attention as soon as they reach your home. What ever you do, don’t leave them in the car, outside or out of water. Follow the simple steps explained here to get the most from your flowers.
Always place flowers in a cool environment, away from drafts or heating and out of direct sunlight. Try not to place your flowers:
- In the Kitchen (especially near food or a heat source),
- On a windowsill,
- Above a radiator,
- Near a door or where there is no ventilation or air flow at all.
Loose stems
- Fill your vases or containers with fresh cool water mixed with the right ratio of flower food as described on the packet. For tropical flowers use room temperature water.
- Unwrap your flowers. Be careful and gentle as a knock can mean your flowers will bruise. In some flower types, like a Lily, they may not open at all if damaged
- Remove any foliage which will go below the water line in the vase as this will cause bacteria in the water and reduce the life span of the flower.
- Using a sharp clean pair of scissors or preferably a sharp knife and cut each stem end at a 45 degree angle to allow a good surface area for the flower to take up water. Remove just a few centimetres from the bottom of the stem.
- Place your flowers in the water and enjoy!
- Replace the water when it starts to appear cloudy (every 3-5 days as needed), at this point recut the stems too.
Hand Tied Design
These designs have been carefully created by your florist and will be already tied at a binding point. Foliage from the stems will have been removed and your flowers will arrive beautifully packaged for presentation. Here is what you’ll need to do with them..
- Remove the lower packaging from the bouquet. You can leave the upper wrapping on but the bag of water should be removed over a sink and dispose of the plastic (Or recycle/compost if that style of packaging has been used)
- Be careful not to cut the band which ties all the flowers together as they have been designed for you in this way.
- Fill a vase with water and add the flower food provided in the correct ratios as stated on the packaging.
- Recut the stems slightly at a 45 degree angle
- Place the design in the vase ensuring that all the stems are in the water and that the water is no higher than the binding point.
- Replace the water when it starts to appear cloudy (every 3-5 days as needed), at this point recut the stems too.
Arrangement
These designs will be arranged in a ‘medium’ which means a water retaining product. The flowers are in precise places and styled to specification by the customer. You need to do nothing to them apart from look after them as described below.
The flowers may be in a variety of mediums such as: Floral foam, moss, gel beads, a biodegradable block and so on…
Understand what your flowers are in by either looking at the base carefully or asking your florist
Every couple of days place your finger onto the medium to assess how dry it is. If it is not damp or wet use a jug of water mixed with flower food in the correct ratios to fill the container up. This allows the flowers to continue drinking. The florist will usually have left a gap at the back so that you can easily fill up the design. It may need topping up when you get them as water is often drained slightly for transportation.
Simply continue to top up the design when needed and enjoy!
