Flowers are an evergreen gift for any occasion. They can brighten up a dull day and evoke feelings, emotions, and memories of the special moments in our lives. A creatively put together fresh flower arrangement can cheer up any space and goes a long way in enhancing the ambiance of personal and professional indoor spaces.
If you’ve received a bunch of fresh flowers, you’ll want it to last as long as possible so that you can enjoy its exquisite visual beauty and natural fragrance for several days. Here are 25 tips that will help you learn how to care for your fresh flowers.
How to care for a mixed flower bouquet
Mixed bouquets make for a lovely thoughtful gift regardless of the occasion. If you like to gift and receive flowers, you’re probably adept at taking care of mixed flower bouquets. But not many people know how to care for the different types of flowers and greens used in mixed arrangements.
If your mixed arrangement is made up of flowers like water hyacinth and bupleurum and greens such as ferns, it’s fairly easy to care for. Use the following tips to prolong the vase life of your mixed bouquet and keep it looking lovely for days.
1. If you received flower care instructions along with the bouquet, follow those instructions to care for those specific flowers in the right manner. If not, use the following flower care routine.
2. Gently remove the paper or plastic wrapping around the bouquet as well as any tags.
3. Remove the floral foam from the base of the bouquet. It was used to keep the arrangement fresh during transportation. Ensure to gently rinse the stems to remove any remaining foam.
4. Your flowers need to be placed in water as soon as possible so that the process of blossoming can begin. But before that, you need to remove any leaves on the bottom half of the stems (strip the leaves off of the area that would be immersed in water).
5. Removing excess foliage is an important step in the preservation of your bouquet. Once this is done, place the stems in water.
6. While the stems are submerged, cut away one to two inches off each stem. This helps to open up the pores of your blossoms and enables greater absorption of water.
7. Remember to make the cut at an angle as this will ensure that your flowers won’t be sitting flat at the base of the vase.
8. You can also cut the stems without placing them in water, but doing so while they’re submerged helps to avoid air bubbles that could starve your flowers.
9. Fill a sturdy clean vase three quarters with fresh, warm water and if you received flower food with the bouquet, add it to the water. Do note that not all flowers need flower food.
10. If there’s no flower food, add two spoons apple cider vinegar and two spoons of sugar in the water. It is believed to help improve the longevity of cut flowers. Some people prefer adding salt, aspirin or even vodka to keep their precious bouquets looking great for over a week.
11. Place your flowers at a cool place where there’s no direct sunlight. Don’t place fresh flowers near appliances or other things that emit heat.
12. Don’t place the vase near fresh fruit. Ripening fruits release gases that can harm your blossoms.
13. On day three, repeat the stem-cutting process and change the water. Add flower food if you have another packet. If you see the water turning cloudy sooner, it’s a sign that you need to change the water.
14. Pluck or cut away dry and wilted leaves and petals to keep your bouquet looking fresh.
15. Keep changing the water every two or three days and cut away the stems every time you do so. With this process, your pretty flower arrangement would last at least a week.
How to care for a succulent bouquet
Succulents are special and they need special care to survive in your home—hence this dedicated section for care instructions specifically for succulents.
1. If you want the succulents in your flower bouquet to last for more than a week, you’ll need to replant them in a pot.
2. Place your succulents in a vase. They will last longer if paired with carnations.
3. You can easily propagate succulents from extra cuttings and preserve your special gift for a long time to come.
4. The best part about growing succulents is that you can use either the leaf or the stem for propagation. Allow the piece you’ve chosen to dry out completely for a week or so. This will give it time to grow roots.
5. Once the roots are out, plant it in moist soil. A cactus soil mix would bring good results. Make sure the pot has a draining hole at the bottom as succulents need plenty of drainages.
6. You will soon find that the small piece from your bouquet has started to sprout fresh succulents. Water the plant adequately and you can keep it alive for years.
7. According to experts at the Cali Bouquet, succulents can quickly lose their beauty if exposed to excessive harsh light. Place your succulents in partial sunlight as too much exposure to direct sunlight or excess water can turn your succulents yellowish.
8. Once the soil has run dry, add abundant water to the pot. Succulents are desert plants that can survive without water for days, but they will soak up tremendous amounts of water when watered. And they need enough water to survive.
9. The blue, grey and red ones can generally tolerate a lot of sunlight. The green ones, not so much. If placing indoors, find a place that gets indirect light, such as next to a window.
10. Take proper care of your succulents and they will grow into beautiful blooms that you can use to craft your own bouquets later.
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