How to care for flowers

You have treated yourself or have been lucky enough to receive some beautiful flowers. Of course, you want your flowers last. Well today I would like to share my top tips for keeping your flowers fresh. These are tried and tested key information on how to care for flowers and keep your blooms looking beautiful for longer. Some tips you may already know, some may be new. Either way, I hope you find them useful in keeping your cut flowers alive for longer.

REMOVE THE PACKAGING

You have been lucky enough to receive a beautiful bouquet, how wonderful. The first advice I am giving in how to care for your flowers is to remove the packaging. Gift bouquets are usually delivered in an aqua pack, this is a cellophane wrap around the bottom of the stems, ensuring they can drink whilst in transit. (I prefer to use a glass jam jar.) Neither of these things are a vase. The flowers will need to go into a fresh vase of water sooner rather than later. So, remove the paper, snip the band holding the flowers together and pop the flowers in a vase big enough for the flowers. Ensuring that the flowers have space to breathe.

Gift bouquet of Peonies, Roses, Delphinium and Alchemella Mollis.

USE A SUITABLE CLEAN VASE

This point is often forgotten in how to care for your flower tips. You need to ensure the vase is suitable for your flowers. Different vases work for different flowers. You don’t want to put tall stemmed flowers in a squat fishbowl. You especially don’t want to be squeezing the stems into a narrow shape vase. On the other hand, if the mouth of your vase is too wide the arrangement will not have any form or shape. So choose wisely. It’s super important to thoroughly clean your vase before putting your flowers in. You can just use some household bleach and washing up liquid to give it a good scrub. Then use some hot water to wash away any residue. This process will stop kill any bacteria forming in the vase. Bacteria that are not removed will affect the longevity of the flowers by slowly deteriorating the quality of the fresh flowers.

CONDITION YOUR FLOWERS

I believe the most common mistake people make when arranging flowers is leaving the bottom leaves on the stem, those which sit under the water line. Any plant leaves and flowers you leave in the vase water will rot quickly. This will then spread bacteria in the water that will kill your flowers before their time. So, you must remove all the lower leaves and help keep the water clear and clean for longer. Florists call this process conditioning, this is a great tip for how to care for flowers. We do this every time we have flowers.

CUT THE STEMS

Another step of conditioning your flowers is cutting the stem. It is best to cut the flowers diagonally and immediately place them in fresh water. I recommend that you do this at home when you receive flowers. By snipping the ends at an angle this provides more surface area for the stem to uptake water which is crucial. This also stops the stems sitting flat at the bottom of the vase, again allowing the flower to drink more easily. Ideally you should recut the stems every few days. This will allow fresh water to penetrate the stem again. You should also use fresh cold water for your flowers. However, a good tip is if you are trying to get your flowers to open, substitute the cold water for warm water. The warm temperature will help facilitate the opening of the bloom, although this will lead to a shorter lifespan.

My Valentine’s seasonal bouquet for 2021

BE MINDFUL WHERE YOU PLACE THE VASE

Your flowers will last longer if they are away from direct sunlight, warmth or draughts. Please do not place your flowers in front of a sunny window, or by the fire or a radiator. You need to keep them cool. Any excess heat will mean the flowers will release more water than they transpire and this will shorten their lifespan. Also do not place your bouquet next to the fruit bowl; fruit can release ethylene gas which will poison the flowers. Again, not conducive to long lasting blooms.

Example of flower jam jar gift by Petal Power

CHANGE THE VASE WATER

The water in your vase needs to be changed every 2-3 days, more often if it’s a really hot day. Most people do not do this, and I know it’s a pain but this is the number one way to increase the longevity of your case life. Bacteria will form at the base of the flower stems and in the water, so by freshening up the water you are stopping this from happening. Throw away the old water, rinse the vase, refill and cut your stems again.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my how to care for flowers tips. Let me know if you have learnt something new by reading this.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi! I'm Anne-Marie, Petal Power is me. I run my event floristry business out of Creigiau, Cardiff.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. Stay tuned for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anne-Marie is Petal Power Cardiff — Anne-Marie the face of Petal Power

Hi! I'm Anne-Marie, Petal Power is me!

I run my weddings and event floristry business out of my studio in Creigiau, Cardiff, South Wales.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog.

If you want even more prettiness take a look back at my page. You will find information on the latest beautiful weddings I have been lucky enough to be a part of.

Also, you can keep up to date with essential advice, craft ideas, my favourite seasonal wedding flowers and more.

You can find out more about me and my work here.

Anne-Marie xoxo

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I don't care! ⭐ That you have no idea about flowers ⭐ You don't have your whole wedding mapped out ⭐ Your design vision isn't clear This is perfectly normal! Most people don't know exactly what they want when we meet and actually that's how I prefer it! It's great when we collaborate and talk through everything together. We can deep dive into all this when we meet. If you want to work with me get in touch. For the beautiful @becca_hobbs4. If you want to see more of this beautiful wedding day I have written a blog. The link is in my bio. Venue @decourceysmanor Professional images @joelewisphotography Hair @wishboneandcomb Makeup @_jhmakeup

"As soon as I saw Anne-Marie’s work I knew she was the person I wanted to do our wedding flowers. She worked with us to help shape our ideas, and bring our spring wedding to life. The flowers were exquisite and so many people commented on how beautiful they were. She even came back the following morning to turn our flower boxes into bouquets so that we could give them out to family and friends. She really helped us to get the most out of our budget. She is incredibly skilled at what she does, and we highly recommend her.” Pop over to the link in my bio to see more of this beautiful wedding in my latest blog, or I can send you the link. Photographer @joelewisphotography Venue @decourceysmanor Hair @wishboneandcomb Make up @_jhmakeup Dress @timelesselegancebridal

Page 32! This month's @countyweddingmagazines Your South Wales Wedding Magazine has a four page feature of one of my weddings. It's a beauty and I loved every second of being a part of it. I am so pleased that Megan gave me a special mention and also told the story of how I helped her have her wedding outside. Anyway, go take a look - September/October Issue. You won't regret it. (Here's the link) https://www.yoursouthwales.wedding/free-download Images @timea.danci.photographer Styling @ohsocurious_hq Venue @llechwenhall Bride @megzdelight

Are you getting married?

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It’s only natural that you have a load of questions when planning your wedding flowers.

Some of the most common questions that keep cropping up I have already answered. You will find this page helpful; to read more CLICK HERE

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I still have some availability for this year and next year. If you have booked your wedding date get in touch to discuss your wedding flowers.

I look forward to speaking to you.

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Cardiff, Cardiff teacher, Cardiff florist, how to, how to guide, gift bouquets, fresh flowersAnne-Marie MerliniMay 18, 2021flowers, Cardiff flower DIY, cardiff