At The BloomBox, we take great care in selecting, processing and preparing our flowers before they ever leave our shop. Once they're home, a little attention can make a big difference in how long you get to enjoy them.
Fortunately, caring for fresh flowers isn't complicated, and our most important piece of advice is also the simplest.
Change Your Water Daily!
If you wouldn't drink the water, your flowers shouldn't either!
We recommend changing your flowers' water every single day. Bacteria can build up in vase water surprisingly quickly, interfering with the stems' ability to absorb water and causing flowers to wilt prematurely.
Don't wait until the water looks cloudy or starts to smell, and don't simply add fresh water to what's already there.
For loose bouquets, empty the vase completely, rinse it and refill it with fresh water daily. If the vase develops a film, give it a thorough wash before refilling.
For arrangements already designed in a vase, you can generally avoid disturbing the design by placing the vase in the sink and gently flushing it with fresh water until the old water has been displaced.
Some flowers drink quite heavily, so you may need to top up the water between daily changes to keep the stems submerged. Just remember that topping up is not a substitute for changing the water.
For more information on why we stress this so much, read our blog article, If You Wouldn't Drink the Water....
What About Flower Food?
We include two packets of flower food with our cut flower bouquets. If your flowers arrived already arranged in a vase, we've added the flower food for you.
If packets are included, follow the instructions on the package and use the entire packet with the recommended amount of water. Don't try to stretch it out by using half today and saving the rest for tomorrow. Over-diluting flower food reduces its effectiveness.
Flower food helps nourish cut flowers and control bacterial growth, particularly during their initial days in the vase. While it can continue to provide benefits when properly mixed, we don't consider additional packets necessary after the initial treatments.
The most important thing is to continue changing the water daily, with or without flower food.
A Few More Tips for Longer-Lasting Flowers
If you've received a loose bouquet, give the stems a fresh cut with clean, sharp scissors or floral shears before placing them in water. Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline, as submerged foliage encourages bacterial growth.
Keep your flowers away from direct sunlight, heating vents, fireplaces and cold drafts. A comfortable, cooler location will generally help flowers last longer. It's also a good idea to keep arrangements away from ripening fruit, which releases gases that can accelerate aging in some varieties.
As individual flowers begin to fade, remove them from the arrangement. Different varieties naturally have different lifespans, and removing spent blooms can help keep the remaining flowers looking their best.
Arrangements in Floral Foam
If your arrangement is designed in floral foam (often called Oasis), the care instructions are a little different. You can't simply empty and replace the water as you would with a vase.
Instead, check the foam daily and carefully add fresh water directly to it, making sure it stays thoroughly hydrated. Pour slowly to avoid overflowing the container, and never allow the foam to dry out completely.
Note; floral foam cannot be dried out and reused. Once your bouquet has run its course dispose of used floral foam.
We're Here to Help
We stand behind our flowers with a seven-day satisfaction guarantee. If something isn't performing as expected, please contact us so we have the opportunity to make it right.
If you'd like to learn more about what goes into keeping flowers fresh, you can also read What Happens to Your Flowers Before We Ever Design With Them?.
And remember, if you take only one thing away from this page, make it this: If you wouldn't drink the water, your flowers shouldn't either!
