We All Want Fresh Flowers.......
There are plenty easy tricks and tips to help make your cut flowers last longer. From adding common household items such as a little Vodka or Lemonade to the flower water to storing the blooms in the fridge overnight, these tips for how to make flowers last really work.
Choose the freshest flowers you can find. While the selection of fresh flowers at your local supermarket or corner store may look fresh, they won't go the distance the way a bunch of blooms from the florist or direct from the flower market or farmer will. For flowers that last longer, it's worth putting in that extra effort to make a trip to the course. Prep fresh flowers correctly We know we're meant to trim the ends of the stems before we put flowers in the vase, but did you know that using scissors can actually damage them? Instead, use a sharp, non-serrated knife or gardening snips/secateurs to cut around 3cm off the bottom of the stems at a 45-degree angle. Also remove any leaves that will sit below the waterline, as this can breed bacteria – which can deal a fatal blow to your blooms. Continue to check your flowers daily and remove any dead or loose leaves and petals, which could cause bacterial rot. Give fresh flowers something to eat Seriously! A teaspoon of sugar added to the water in the vase essentially feeds the flowers, helping nourish the blooms so that they stay looking fresh for longer. Alternatively, try adding around 1/4 cup lemonade to the water for the same effect. However, as well as nourishing the flowers, the sugar feeds bacteria, which can not only make the water go cloudy, but also speed up the demise of your blooms. Luckily, there are plenty of handy household additives you can use to combat this. Try apple cider vinegar Apple cider vinegar in the flower water also acts as an effective antibacterial agent and works to balance the pH balance of the environment. Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar with 2 tablespoons of sugar and add to the vase with water before adding your flowers.
Top up with vodka The clear spirit is yet another option to help minimise the growth of bacteria in the flower water, as well as providing the flowers the nourishment they would've received had they not been cut. Add a few drops of vodka (or any clear spirit you have on hand) to the water, along with that all-important teaspoon of sugar.
Drop in an aspirin As well as sorting out your headache, aspirin is thought to lower the pH level of the water – plus, the salicylic acid in the over-the-counter medication will help keep the water clean and free of flower-damaging bacteria. Crush 1 aspirin with the back of a spoon and mix the powder into the water in your vase before adding your flowers.
Change the water regularly Even with all those mix-ins, it's still important to freshen up the water in the vase regularly if you want to keep your flowers alive for longer. Change the water every second day, using room-temperature H2O, and give the vase a good clean with dishwashing liquid to remove any bacteria before refilling. Don't forget to add new sugar and any other additives you're using for longevity.
