Whether they’re fresh from your garden, a gift from a loved one or a take-home centerpiece from an event, a bouquet of fresh flowers in our home or office can instantly change the setting and add some flair.

And while we would love to live in a perfect world where’d our beautiful floral arrangements would last forever, with improper care, fresh cut flowers won’t last very long, and it can be a huge bummer to have your flowers start wilting and drooping after only a few days. Different types of flowers require different care, but here are eight general tips from our Floral Designer to help extend the life of your floral arrangements.

1. Add water and check it daily.

The more flowers in the arrangement, the need for water will increase. Adding water to the vase is the best way to help flower arrangements stay fresh and since some types of cut flowers drink more water than others, make sure to check the water level daily, and add more water as necessary!

2. Cut the ends of the stems.

In order to make your flowers soak up the most water possible, you’ll need to cut the ends of the stems. Tip: to get the best cut, use sharp scissors and cut an inch off the stems at an angle rather than straight across. Doing so will give more surface area to the stem’s tip, which will help the flower access the water more efficiently.

3. Use the packet of flower food…

If your bouquet of flowers came with a small packet don’t toss it in the trash! Packets of powdered flower food can help nourish your flowers, making them last longer. Most flower food contains sugar (nutrients), an acidifier (to maintain the water’s pH level) and bleach (to reduce bacteria). Rather than dump in the whole packet at once, sprinkle it in.. Packets of flower food can be added a little at a time when you change the water.

3. ..OR MAKE YOUR OWN!

If you don’t have flower food, you can easily make your own by mixing water with sugar, lemon or lime juice, and household bleach. These three ingredients will nourish your flowers, keep their stems open, and kill bacteria that could prematurely age them.

5. Clean the vase!

When it comes to flowers, cleanliness matters. Before putting flowers in a vase, you should disinfect the vase with bleach and water. Simple soap and water should work, too, but use bleach if you want to be extra careful.

6. Choose where to place your flowers carefully.

If flowers get too warm, they’ll wilt a lot faster. The best practice is to keep your flower arrangement in a cool environment, away from direct sunlight, heater vents, and entry doors.

7. Stick with the basics.

People have experimented with different ways to keep flowers fresh longer. Putting certain items such as aspirin, pennies, vodka, soda, and mouthwash in the vase can reportedly help flowers last longer. Although some of these ideas have a basis in chemistry, most experiments that follow steps 1-6 will give your flowers the best chance to stay alive for a long time.

8. Have fun with it and enjoy!

Most of all, have fun with your floral arrangements! Our Floral team loves to keep flowers in their offices and homes – not only a decorative piece, but as way to enhance their moods and spirits!  They say, “Traditionally a beautiful floral bouquet or a flowering plant is a gift for women, but I would recommend that both men and women keep fresh flowers or plants (air plants, succulents, cactus) in their home not only for their beauty and fragrance but also for how they lift our spirits and draw all good things towards us!” 

Need a floral arrangement for an event? Or a floral gift for a special someone?

Our Floral Designer would be more than happy to help you with your floral needs. She plants love into her work every day by assisting and communicating with customers and transforming their vision into her beautifully designed floral arrangements.

Click here to see more of our floral arrangements or call us at  1-800-281-4438 to get started creating your own custom floral arrangements!