Fresh Flower Care
After you receive your bouquet, you can help your fresh flowers last longer by following these simple cut flower care guidelines:
Change water
Check your flowers daily. Keep the vase or container filled with fresh water being sure to have all leaves and debris off stems and out of the vase. If you completely change the water, you should also thoroughly clean the container before refilling it with room-temperature water. Add flower food at this time if you desire.*
Be sure no debris is floating in the water (such as leaves and stem parts) as this could promote the growth of bacteria which can shorten a flower’s life.
*Flower food contains the correct ingredients to properly nourish the flowers, keep bacteria at bay (which can block the stems and prevent them from absorbing water), encourage buds to open, and lengthen the life of the bouquet. It’s one of the best—and easiest—ways to extend the life of your flowers. Be sure to follow the directions on the package correctly. Improperly mixed flower food can actually do more harm than good.
Re-cut stems
Every few days, remove the flowers from the design and remove any spent or damaged blooms/foliage. Re-cut the stems by removing 1 inch from the bottom of the stem. Use a sharp, clean knife or sharp, clean floral pruners. Avoid smashing or piercing the stems, as this can destroy the water vessels in the stem and prevent water absorption.
Display flowers in a cool spot away from direct sunlight
Most flowers prefer temperatures between 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 22 degrees Celsius) and are best displayed away from direct sunlight, heating or vents, directly under ceiling fans, or are displayed near heat producing televisions or radiators, which can cause flowers to dehydrate. Keep them cool and hydrated. Even spending the nights on the porch, out of the wind and early morning sun can add a few days to your bouquet. Also, avoid placing fresh flowers near ripening fruit, which releases tiny amounts of ethylene gas that can age them prematurely.
Bugs
We do our very best to keep every one of our crops pest free, using organic methods, products, and practices. You may find yourself with a spider, beetle, aphid or even a lady bug in your bouquet. Please take your new bug outside and dispose of any flower that may seem infested. Typically Aphids are the main culprit here. Also you may see little bites taken from the leaves/petals. We do our best to remove all imperfect leaves and flowers but we sometimes we miss a few. We hope that a few bugs or bug nibbles let you know how much we care about our environment and ensures that we don’t use harmful or toxic chemicals.
Wilting
Sometimes we have a learning curve with new flowers and greenery. You may see premature wilting. As much as we hate that, unfortunately that can happen post harvest with new products we are growing or using for the first time. We hope that only happens occasionally and that if it effects the value of your bouquet let us know so we can correct our mistakes. When you see a wilted bloom or leaf simply remove the stem or cut it out. If your entire bouquet is wilting call us immediately to remedy it.
Dry Flower Care
Keep your dry floral arrangement bound tight for best performance. If you do desire to rearrange them be very gentile as dry flowers are very delicate and break easily. Keep your dry bouquet out of direct sunlight, and away from humidity. We recommend filling clear vases partially with sand, tumbled stones or other pretty looking items to discourage the look of boring dry stems. Or use opaque vases, woven baskets and other open air vessels. Please check them occasionally for mold. If mold does show up just spritz the stems with rubbing alcohol and allow to dry before returning to a clean, dry vase. Never put dry bouquets in water.