Fresh cut flowers from a Florist, tastefully arranged in a beautiful vase, will add a touch of elegance to any room, but it's disappointing when after buying and getting them home without damage, to see leaves and petals dropping after a day or two. Cut flowers will look fresher and last longer by taking a little more time with them initially, and doing a couple of things differently during their life cycle.
Immediate attention:
> Keep the flowers cool, especially if it is inconvenient to arrange them in a vase when they are first brought home. Remove all the packaging and place the flowers in a small amount of cold water.
> Rinse the vase thoroughly in clean water. While it may have been cleaned and stored after the last use, most households are not dust free, and the presence of dirt, mould or household detergent will cause the flowers to die quickly.
Preparation for display:
> With the stems in the water, take a sharp knife or scissors and cut diagonally across the bottom of the stems, about two to three centimetres from the end. A 45 degree cut creates a larger stem surface area and keeping the stems immersed prevents air from entering them. Both of these steps allow the flowers to take in more water.
> Fill the vase with warm water to three-quarters full, and stir in the flower food that came with the bouquet. If there is no flower flood, crush two plain, uncoated aspirin and stir this in instead.
> Remove any excess leaves from the stems that are under the waterline, as bacteria will grow in the water when the leaves die. Place the bouquet gently into the vase, arranging the items to suit.
Care and attention:
> Place the flowers in a position where they will have exposure to light, but not direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will make the flowers wilt and stimulate the speedy growth of bacteria in the water. A room temperature of 18 to 22 degrees Celsius is ideal.
> Place them away from heat sources such as radiators, televisions, computers and some appliances. They should also not be placed in a draft or directly under a ceiling fan or air conditioning unit.
> The flowers will age quickly if exposed to a gas called ethylene. Ripening fruit emits this gas, as does cigarette smoke.
> Immediately remove leaves or petals that fall into the water, and change the water completely every second day. Every third or fourth day, the stems should be re-trimmed and the petals lightly sprayed with fresh water.
These simple measures will preserve the beauty of Flowers well past a couple of days, and ensure that the money spent on them will continue to bring pleasure to the observer for as long as possible.