January 6, 2025
How to keep Valentine’s Day flowers fresh longer?
Allegra – seasonal flowers in a vase
How to keep Valentine’s Day flowers fresh longer? You have received a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Valentine’s Day and want to enjoy them for as long as possible. Camberwell Florist shares their pro tips on how to keep your Valentine’s Day flowers looking fabulous days after Friday 14th February, 2025.
- Prepare the vase and water. First, you need to ensure the vase is clean. Bacteria in the water can affect the lifespan of fresh flowers. Wash your vase with hot water and bleach. Not only does this kill the bacteria build-up inside the vase, it also makes the vase sparkle and gleam. You’re setting the scene for a professional display of your beautiful Valentine’s Day flowers. Before adding the flowers, fill the vase with clean, lukewarm water. The temperature of the water can shock the flowers, so lukewarm water is best. We suggest you fill half the vase with water. You may also want to add a home-made flower preserver. It’s very easy to make and makes the flowers last. You’ll need sugar, a lemon and bleach. Use natural bleach rather than the cleaning bleach. Mix one teaspoon of sugar, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and one teaspoon of bleach into 2 cups of water. The sugar will feed the flowers, while the lemon juice help to acidify the water and keep the stems from closing up, and the bleach prevents bacteria from growing.
- Trim the stems. Now the vase is ready, you can prepare the flowers before placing them into the vase. With a sharp pair of scissors or garden variety secateurs, trim about one to two centimetres off the bottom off each stem at a 45-degree angle. This angle creates a larger surface area, allowing the flowers to drink up the water. Also, if you cut the stems under water this will prevent air bubbles from entering the stems, which could block water from traveling up the stems to the flower head. If you see some woody stems (like Magnolia, Lilac, Eucalyptus or Dogwood), be sure to snip the stems up vertically. This opens the stem up even more, allowing water to travel up the stem and hydrate all the leaves and blossoms.
- Flower care and maintenance. Now you know the procedure to take care of fresh cut flowers, remember to repeat this process every two or three days so that the flower stems continue to drink and hydrate the flower bloom and leaves. Flower care tip: if you see the water turning cloudy, that’s a sign that the water needs changing.
- Where to place your flowers to make them last longer. The placement of your flowers makes a big difference to how long they will last. Flowers prefer to live in a cool, well-ventilated space. Avoid placing them near heat or cold air-conditioning vents as you will see them dehydrate, and wilt. Also, avoid placing your flowers near fruit and vegetables, as the ethylene gas they emit as they ripen can cause flowers to wilt.
- Keeping your flowers cool. If you want to take flower care to the next level, you may consider placing the flowers in a cool place like the refrigerator overnight to help them last longer. The cooler temperatures slow down the flower’s metabolism and water usage. Just make sure that the flowers are not placed next to fruits or vegetables (see above re ethylene gas).
From the team at Camberwell Florist, we hope these flower care tips will help you enjoy your Valentine’s Day flowers long after Friday 14th February 2025. With proper care and attention, your bouquet will continue to bring joy to your days. Enjoy!!
