The more attention you give your flowers, the more they give back. A few small habits make the difference between three days and ten.
Fresh cut flowers
Fill the vase the moment it arrives. Flowers are thirsty travelers. A large arrangement can drink most of its water on the first day, and a vase that runs low is the fastest way to a wilted bouquet. Your arrangement arrives with flower food already in the water, so there is nothing to add on day one.
Find them a calm spot. Away from air-conditioning vents, heaters, and any window where you can feel the sun on your hand. Cigarette smoke shortens their life too.
Keep them away from the fruit bowl. Ripening bananas, apples, pears, and peaches give off ethylene gas, which ages flowers quickly. A different counter is all it takes.
Fresh water every other day. Bacteria in the water is what shortens a flower's life, so the routine is simple: drain the vase, rinse it, trim an inch or two off each stem at an angle with a sharp knife or shears, and refill with fresh water. Dull scissors crush the stem and block the water from getting in.
Intricate designs: do more than nothing. Some arrangements are built so tightly that pulling stems to recut them would undo the design. When that is the case, tip the vase to drain as much old water as you can and refill with fresh. That alone buys days.
A little bleach goes a long way. Mix a quarter teaspoon of household bleach into a quart of water in a separate bottle, then use that to fill the vase. It keeps bacteria in check. Never pour bleach straight into the vase.
Lift out spent blooms. A flower past its prime gives off the same gas as ripening fruit. Removing it helps the rest of the arrangement last.
Hydrangeas love humidity. A light misting every day or two keeps them full.
Phalaenopsis orchids
Think of where they come from: the forest floor under a canopy, bright but never in the sun.
Light. Bright, indirect light. Direct sun through a window burns the leaves; a dark corner slowly starves the plant. A spot near an east- or north-facing window, or a few feet back from a brighter one, is ideal.
Water. Roughly every 7 to 10 days indoors. Water in the morning and let it drain. The soil should feel slightly moist to the touch, never wet and never bone dry. Too much water drowns the roots; a plant left dry for too long may not recover even once you water it again.
Keep water out of the crown. The crown is the center where the leaves meet. Water that pools there overnight causes rot, and rot in the crown is usually fatal. Water the soil, not the leaves.
Ice cubes. We don't recommend them. A cube wets one spot and skips the rest of the roots, and it can leave a cold puddle on a leaf.
After the blooms fall. If the flower spike is still green, cut it just above the second node from the base and it may bloom again. If it has turned brown, cut it back to the base. The plant is resting, not finished.
Succulents
Paired with an orchid. When succulents share a planter with a phalaenopsis, they share its routine: the same slightly moist soil that keeps the orchid happy keeps them happy too.
On their own. Let the top of the soil dry out between waterings, then water deeply and let it drain. Dry means the surface has dried, not weeks of neglect followed by a sudden soak. Overwatering is the most common way a succulent is lost. Indoor succulents can still burn in direct sun, so bright indirect light is the safer choice.
Arrangements in floral foam
Add water daily. Foam holds a great deal, and the flowers pull from it steadily, so a small top-up each day keeps the whole design drinking.
Questions about your flowers? Call us at 919.623.0202. We are happy to help.
When it is time for fresh ones, we would love to make your next arrangement. Order flowers