Whether you’ve received a beautiful bouquet as a gift or bought fresh flowers to welcome spring into your home, you’ll want to make them last as long as possible. Fresh flowers might seem like impossibly delicate beings that require constant monitoring, but making sure they last longer than the weekend is a lot simpler than you might think. Here are a few easy steps that will help you get more life out of your flowers.
Change the water every few days.
An essential yet quick and simple step in flower care is changing the water every few days (floral experts suggest changing it every three days). Set an alarm on your phone to go off a few times a week if you have trouble remembering.
Don’t throw out the plant food!
You know that small packet full of powder that’s usually stuffed in between the rubber bands holding your bouquet together? You’re going to need that. It’s a floral preservative (usually labeled “plant food”) that helps continue to keep your flowers fresh and full of life. When you’re changing the water, add a packet of floral preservative (we recommend buying a few extra packets if possible) and mix it in before adding your flowers.
Recut the stems for fresh flowers.
This simple trick is a game-changer when it comes to making your flowers last longer. Trim your blooms before arranging them in a vase by removing an inch from the bottom of each stem, cutting on a diagonal. Repeat every time you change the water. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference this makes!
Read the care instructions.
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of times we tend to assume that all flowers are comprised the same. Your flowers might need specific care depending on the variety, so it’s important to read the tag that’s attached to know what to do. Don’t be afraid to ask your florist for extra tips, too. Just a few easy suggestions can be the difference between dud buds and a blooming bouquet!
Keep your flowers from drying out.
While flowers do require some sunlight, be careful of overexposing them. Too much sunlight can dry your flowers out, which is a real bummer when you’ve gone through all that trouble to keep them alive. Air vents and windows can also suck the life out of your flowers faster too, so keep them far away from your blossoming babies!
