• Check your flowers daily. Add new water at room temperature mixed with fresh flower food every other day. Carefully follow the mixing directions on your flowers food packet. The mixture should not be too diluted nor cloudy.
  • Remove any leaves that fall under the water line in the vase. Submerged leaves rot and create bacteria, shortening the life of your bouquet.
  • Keep flowers in water at all times. Cut flowers need to maintain a balance between the water absorbed and the water evaporated. When flowers are removed from water they continue to evaporate while water absorption will cease. Evaporation can be reduced by removing as many of the lower leaves as possible.
  • Place flowers in a clean container, free from bacteria and dirt. Bacteria absorbed by the stem will limit water absorption and shorten the life of the flower.
  • Trim stems under water (cut diagonally with a knife rather than scissors) every few days. Trimming stems prevents air pockets that form inside the stem and block water uptake. A common myth suggests cutting the stem vertically to allow more water absorption. No scientific proof supports this myth. In fact, cutting stems vertically destroys the stems cell structure, causing bacteria growth and hindering water absorption.
  • Display your flowers in a cool, shady place near 50°F – away from drafts, heat generating appliances, and sunlight. High temperatures and sunlight causes flowers to mature at a faster rate and shorten the flowers lifespan.

Vase

Wash container if the water seems cloudy. Keep the foliage above the water level by stripping any foliage that would sit too low.

Sprays, Basket or Specialty Container

Check moisture by carefully holding flowers out of the way and pressing lightly on the floral foam. If foam feels dry, pour more water into the bottom of the container and let the foam absorb it.

Bridal Bouquets and Boutonnieres

Keep in the refrigerator until they are needed. For Bouquets with foam bases, check the foam for moisture and carefully wet foam as needed. For boutonnieres or corsages a light mist can help refresh the flowers. Hand tied bouquets should have the stems re-cut and be placed in water as soon as possible.

Wrapped or Hand Tied

Hand tied bouquets should have the stems re-cut and be placed in water as soon as possible.

Wrapped or Hand Tied with Water Tubes

Hand tied bouquets should have the stems re-cut and be placed in water as soon as possible. Roses always have a water tube at the end of the stem. Many of our other more fragile flowers will also. If your delivery has a water tube, you should try to get it into a larger water supply as soon as possible. Water tubes have enough water to keep a flower hydrated for anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the type of flower.