Caring for fresh flowers so they last longer
Simple steps after you receive your bouquet: trim the stems, use clean water, choose a good spot and change the water regularly.
Fresh flowers are living things, and a little simple care can extend their life by several days. These steps suit most kinds of bouquets.
First, unwrap the bouquet and put it in water as soon as possible; the less time it spends without water, the better.
Trim about two centimetres off the stem ends at an angle with a sharp knife or scissors; an angled cut increases the water-absorbing surface and stops the stem from sitting flat on the bottom of the vase.
Remove any leaves that would sit below the water line, because they rot, pollute the water and shorten the life of the flowers.
Use a clean vase and clean cool water, change the water every two days and trim the stems a little each time.
Keep the bouquet away from direct sun, heat sources and air conditioners blowing straight on it, and away from fruit, which releases ethylene gas that makes flowers wilt faster.
Remove wilted flowers as you go so they do not affect the rest of the bouquet.
Note: how long flowers last depends on the type and the weather, so no specific duration can be guaranteed.
