Caring for a Floral Arrangement
How to extend the life of your flowers.
Flower arrangements are beautifully designed with the best florals, however their lifespan depends on proper care once you receive them at home. Taking a few simple steps can ensure that your flowers remain fresh and healthy for as long as possible. Here are my top 5 tips for maintaining your floral arrangements at home.
Change the Water Regularly
One of the most straightforward ways to care for your flower arrangement is to change the water. This should ideally be done every two to three days. Stagnant water can lead to bacterial growth that shortens the life of your flowers.Keep Flowers out of Heat
Heat can cause flowers to mature and wilt more quickly, so it’s best to keep your arrangement in a cool area, away from direct sunlight or drafts.Remove Dead Leaves and Flowers
Regularly check your flowers and foliage for any wilting or dead petals and leaves. Removing these will help maintain the overall health of your arrangement and keep bacteria from developing.Keep Away from Ethylene Gas
Store flowers away from ripening fruits and vegetables (such as apples, onions and potatoes) as they emit ethylene gas that can cause flowers to age and wilt faster.Rearrange!
This is by far my favorite tip! Some blooms and foliage last longer than others. As some stems wilt and die, remove them from your arrangement. From the remaining stems, ignite your creativity by rearranging your blooms and greenery into a smaller arrangement within the same vessel, or a smaller vessel you have at home. Continue this until most of your blooms have reached end of life. You’ll have blooms for weeks on end!
Although we all may want our blooms to last as long as possible so we can enjoy them for longer periods of time, remember that flowers are not meant to last. They are a great reminder to live in the moment - enjoy them while you have them, be thankful they brightened your day, improved your mood, or made you smile. They are mean to to grow, blossom, thrive, and then die. If you’re worried too much about saving them, prolonging them, you could miss their most beautiful moments.
