How to Care for Fresh Flowers: Tips for Longer-Lasting Blooms

The beauty of certain things is in its fleeting nature– a hug from a loved one, witnessing a baby’s first steps, an absolutely delicious meal– I could go on. Often, I wish I could freeze those moments in time so I can appreciate them for a little longer. Since I don’t have a time machine (yet), I’m on a quest to find other ways to preserve beautiful moments in time– like the vase of flowers from a special someone.

When you buy flowers online, you’ll see a variety of arrangements. For the floral newbie, we have fresh flowers in a vase. A more modern solution is our array of flower boxes. Let us carefully arrange your blossoms in a sleek box so you don’t have to worry about spilling water or worrying about fragile glass. There’s also the classic flower bouquets for those who enjoy the experience of caring for each flower before arranging them in their own vase.

From The Bouquet to The Vase

Step 1: Unwrap Your Flowers

Fresh flowers shouldn’t travel too long. Visit our flower shop in Sharjah or buy flowers online anywhere from Dubai and we’ll send them right to your door. Our fresh flowers come beautifully wrapped in paper and ribbons. As lovely as they are, it’s important to remove them before transferring to a vase.

Remember to clean your vase thoroughly to set your flowers up for success. Your last bouquet of flowers more than likely left behind traces of bacteria and fungi that can harm your new bouquet’s longevity.

Water is more than what meets the eye– it can contain certain levels of sodium, fluoride, and minerals that could cause harm to your flowers. If you can, use distilled or purified water.

Step 2: Add Flower Food

Let me preface this section by saying it’s completely optional.

Flower food is exactly what the name suggests. Your beauties can no longer derive nutrition from photosynthesis, so some help can keep them fresh a little longer. Flower food helps regulate water pH and help your beauties thrive by fighting bacteria and fungi that tends to develop in stagnant water.

If you decide to use flower food, remember not to add too much or too little. Directions are usually found on the package with the ratio of water to flower food.

With the water ready, we’re on to prepare the flowers.

Step 3: Trim The Stems

Give the stems a little trim before placing them in the vase. Any tool you use must be sharp to give you a clean cut– no bending or sawing, friends. Blunt tools can cause damage to the stems, making it difficult for them to drink up water. Garden shears are the most ideal, but you can make do with a well sharpened knife or pair of scissors.

Enjoy the process, cut one stem at a time. Stems can be thick and trying to cut more than one at a time can constrict them and block channels of water absorption.

Cut at a 45° angle. No need to get the protractor out– just cut diagonally. This increases the surface area for water absorption.

There’s a lot of debate about how much of the stem you should cut off. The recommended range is anywhere from ¾ inch to 3 inches.

If too much stem is left behind in a taller vase, it can make for an awkward looking arrangement. Try standing your flowers up next to your vase to see how much you’d need to cut. The longer your blossoms have spent without water, the drier the stems. The drier they become, the longer you should cut.

Step 4: Remove Foliage

Some like the look of a bouquet of flowers with leaves. It can add dimension. But it can do more harm than good. Leaves, just like stems, contaminate the water your blooms need to keep bright and fresh. But leaves, unlike stems, have no reason to be there. They take up resources from the flowers and speed up aging. If you absolutely must keep the leaves, make sure none are in the vase.

Step 5: Placement

I don’t need to tell you to keep your flowers in the spot that needs the most prettying up. What I do need to tell you is to keep it away from direct sunlight and air. Flower shops in the UAE are mindful of both elements. Direct sunlight (by the window) and air (by the AC vents) makes their environment too harsh and hasten wilting.

Ethylene is an ever-present colourless, odourless gas in our atmosphere. It’s present in tobacco smoke, and naturally produced by bacteria, ripening fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and any decaying plant material. So, remember to protect your flowers from them.

Step 6: Maintenance

This is arguably the most crucial step. Bacteria love stagnant water. Throw it out at least every 2-3 days and replenish with fresh water. If you can, change the water everyday for better results. Mist the blossoms to keep them from drying out, but don’t overdo it. A little goes a long way. I recommend trimming the stems a little each time. Older, wilting flowers wilt other flowers. Remove them from the arrangement.

Boxed Flowers

Boxed flowers are far easier to handle than flowers in a vase. We even have them in heart shaped boxes– no way they can doubt you love now.

You don’t have to rearrange them or worry about everything you need to do to maintain a bouquet of flowers. Ours come arranged in a base of special floral foam that holds the water your flowers need. If your floral foam is dry to the touch, add just a bit of water. If need be, mist the blossoms and you’re good to go.

Everyone has their own secret to making flowers last longer. Do you have any I didn’t mention? Don’t be shy, leave a comment.