Fresh Floral Designs

Wonderfully designed florist bouquets add beauty to any room. But it can be challenging to ensure they stay gorgeous for more than a day or two. This is especially true with Valentine’s Day bouquets. Oftentimes, roses are harvested weeks in advance of Feb. 14 and kept in cool storage by the grower. Because this is a common practice, it may take a bit more of your involvement than normal to keep the blooms looking good for their intended five-to-seven-day vase life. Here are some ways you can keep the bloom — and your décor — fresh.

Make sure the flowers you receive are standing in a vase filled two-thirds of the way up with clear, clean water.

Consider taking your flowers home if you receive them at the office. Many office buildings shut down the air conditioning at night, and this can damage the flowers.

Keep your flowers in a cool place, out of direct sunlight and away from heat-producing sources such as vents, computers, etc.

Provide each stem with a fresh cut if the heads of your flowers droop. This is a quick remedy if the stems are not able to drink the water in the vase. Take the flowers out of the vase (wrap your hand around the stems near the flowers to keep the design in place or have someone assist you) and cut each stem at an angle with a sharp knife, scissors or garden cutters, approximately one-half inch from the bottom. Place the flowers back in the vase, replacing the old water with fresh, warm (not hot) water from the faucet. This will help shock the stems back into drinking the water and in many cases will actually rehydrate the flower heads, bringing them back to life.

Continue to monitor the water level. Change the water and cut the stems every three days. You can expect five or more days of life out of your flowers if you take good care of them.

Add a floral preservative, such as Chrysal, to the water. Most florists provide a commercial preservative with their arrangements. If you need more than you received, the florist should be happy to provide you with more at no cost.

Call the florist that arranged the flowers and ask for a replacement bouquet if the flowers die within the first 24 to 48 hours. Any reputable florist will be happy to accommodate this request.

Larry Anhorn, Creative Director
Adelaide’s
7766 Girard Ave.
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-454-0146
adelaides.com