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The 5 Longest Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers

The 5 Longest Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers

April 19, 2023

Here are our five favorite long-lasting fresh cut flowers. There’s nothing quite like fresh cut flowers to brighten up your home and your mood! But sometimes it can be a bummer when your beautiful blooms start to wilt and wither away after just a few days. Fear not, flower lovers! There are plenty of flowers out there that can last much longer than the average bouquet. Here are our pick for the top 5 longest lasting fresh cut flowers that are sure to keep your spirits high and your home looking lovely for days on end.

Long Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers #1: Alstroemeria

This stunning South American flower, also known as the Peruvian lily, can last up to two weeks in a vase! With its vibrant colors and delicate petals, it’s a popular choice for both cut flower arrangements and garden beds. Plus, it’s super easy to care for – just make sure to change the water every few days and trim the stems regularly. It’s also super easy to find: it is often featured in supermarket flowers, as well as in farm boxes, at farmers markets, and in higher end grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

Long Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers #2: Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums, also commonly known as mums, are a general favorite, and also, specifically, a fall favorite due to their gorgeous autumnal hues. But did you know that they can last up to three weeks in a vase? With proper care (think: clean water and trimmed stems), your chrysanthemum bouquet will keep your home looking festive and cheerful long after the leaves have fallen!

Long Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers #3: Carnations

These classic sweet and spicy smelling flowers may be overlooked as being old-fashioned, but they’re actually one of the longer lasting cut flowers out there. With proper care, carnations can last up to three weeks in a vase, making them a budget-friendly and versatile choice for any occasion. Plus, they come in a wide variety of colors, from classic white to bold neon hues.

Long Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers #4: Orchids

If you’re looking for a long-lasting flower that’s also exotic, orchids are the way to go. With their delicate petals and intricate shapes, orchids can last up to four weeks in a vase if properly cared for. They do require a bit more attention than some other flowers (think: misting and occasional fertilizer), but the payoff is well worth it – a stunning display that will continue to delight you, and will impress any guest.

Long Lasting Fresh Cut Flowers #5: Protea

If you’re looking for something truly eye-catching and unconventional, look no further than the protea. This South African flower is known for its bold shape and vibrant colors, and can last up to three weeks in a vase. It’s a bit more of a splurge than some other options, but the unique beauty of the protea is well worth it.

So there you have it! Our picks for the top 5 longest lasting fresh cut flowers that will keep your home looking lovely and your spirits high for weeks on end. Whether you prefer classic carnations or exotic orchids, there’s a long-lasting flower out there for everyone!

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Drying Flowers Can Make your Beautiful Bouquet Last for Years

September 14, 2019

A bouquet of cut flowers makes a thoughtful gift for any occasion. Whether they’re for a birthday, anniversary, or just because, flowers send a message of beauty and affection. The main drawback to a floral arrangement is that many cut flowers last only a week or so in the vase. The good news is that there are many easy ways to preserve flowers so that they last indefinitely.

Air drying is the most traditional and economical method of preserving flowers. This technique has been used to save floral specimens for countless hundreds of years. All that is required is some string (or plain dental floss) and a moderately warm, dry room where the flowers can hang undisturbed. Flowers are grouped together in small bundles, bound with the string, and hung upside down to retain their upright shape. The dry time with this method is usually 2 to 3 weeks.

Silica gel is a desiccant that is used to absorb water. Similar to the little packets you find in shoe boxes, silica gel soaks up excess moisture into its gel-like crystals. It is sold in craft stores in tubs that are sufficient to dry several flowers. The flower is carefully surrounded by silica gel in an airtight container, and the water is gradually wicked away so the flower dries in a natural shape. This process usually takes 1 to 2 weeks, and many types of silica gel are reusable.

Manual pressing is a method in which flowers are flattened between sheets of blotter paper. The press is usually tightened by hand to facilitate the most removal of water. If you don’t wish to purchase a press, a similar result can be achieved by placing cut flowers inside the pages of a heavy book. Use caution when choosing a book, as the drying flowers can water-spot or wrinkle the pages. The pressing method creates two-dimensional flowers that are ideal for paper crafting. The drying time varies based on the thickness of the flowers and how tightly they are pressed.

The most modern method for drying flowers involves the microwave. Using this convenient appliance, you can dry flowers either with silica gel or with a press designed specifically to be heated in the microwave. These are the most rapid methods of drying flowers, with some specimens being finished in a matter of minutes.

Regardless of which method you choose, keep in mind that flowers should be dried at the peak of their freshness for the best results. Waiting until the flowers begin to droop may lead to a finished product with saggy petals or dull color. Plan ahead and you can capture your beautiful blooms at their finest.

Remember that, once dried, flowers are fragile. The leaves and petals may be brittle and should be dusted with caution. Avoid storing dried flowers in areas with extreme temperature changes, dampness, or bright sunlight that may fade their color.

Preserved flowers from your own garden would make a lovely, sentimental gift. You can create a bouquet or shadowbox with dried buds. Pressed flowers would be pretty on a handmade greeting card for Mother’s Day or a thank you note. You are limited only by your imagination, and your gift recipient will surely treasure such a meaningful present.

Whether you’re preserving blossoms that were a gift to you, or you’re giving a gift from your garden, you can capture the fleeting beauty of your flowers. Use these drying techniques to preserve a moment in time or a special sentiment in the form of long-lasting dried flowers.

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A Longer Life for Your Perfect Floral Gift

September 13, 2019

For any type of celebration, a gift of cut flowers is a beautiful gesture. If you’ve ever received flowers as a gift for any special occasion, you probably wished you could make them last longer than just a few days. Luckily, there are several tips and tricks to extend the life of flowers in a vase.

Before you put your flowers in the vase, be sure to trim each stem. Use a clean, sharp knife or pruners, and cut the stems on an angle. Take care not to crush the stem ends when trimming them. Cutting on an angle allows the stems to absorb the most amount of water in an efficient way.

After several days, check the flower stems to be sure they have not gotten soggy. If they are soft or slimy, re-cut the stems, removing an additional inch or so from each one. This will help them get sufficient water for a longer period of time.

Clean water is a key factor in extending the life of your blooms. Water should be changed every other day to reduce bacterial growth. Because your flowers are no longer receiving nutrients from their parent plant, they rely on clean water to help keep them fresh and vibrant. If the water looks murky or develops an odor, throw it out and clean the vase before putting the flowers back in.

There are several additives that can go in the vase to help prolong the life of your floral arrangement. There are a number of easy to find, low-cost options, including floral food, aspirin, or bleach.

Floral food often comes in little packets along with bouquets. Be sure to read the package before adding it to the water. You may only need to use part of the packet’s contents.

Aspirin has been used for decades to help preserve cut flowers. Be sure to use true aspirin – acetaminophen won’t work here! An uncoated low-dose aspirin can be crushed and added to the flowers’ water if you don’t have any floral food. The aspirin is thought to make the water’s pH more suitable for the flowers.

In a pinch, bleach can help keep the water in a vase clean and bacteria-free. Use caution, though, as too much bleach will quickly kill your flowers. A few drops (no more than 1/4 teaspoon) should be sufficient to keep the water fresh.

To prevent your flowers from wilting too soon, be sure to keep them in a cool location. Hot air can make your flowers droop rapidly. Avoid placing flowers in areas with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, furnace ducts, space heaters, and fireplaces.

If you have a cool location to store your flowers overnight, this can help the blooms to last longer. You can even keep them in the fridge overnight if you’re concerned about them fading too quickly.

Remember, now that the flowers are removed from their plants, they’re more fragile. But with a little care and love, you can prolong the life of your beautiful blooms and enjoy your gift of flowers for several days longer.

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Set Your Garden on Fire with Gloriosa Superba

June 15, 2019

With a scientific name like Gloriosa superba, you might say that this fiery beauty is superb in color and full of glory. And you would be right! Perhaps that’s why it’s so rich in descriptives. Common English names include flame lily, fire lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, cat’s claw, tiger’s claw, and Rhodesian flame lily.

Whatever name you use, this plant is a stunner with showy reddish orange/yellow flowers that look like flames, and shiny green stems and leaves. The leaves are narrow and usually taper to a short tendril at the tip. The tendrils cling to other objects and help the plant climb up and scramble over other vegetation. Flowering occurs on pedicels or stalks up to 7-1/2” long from May to October. Though the showy flowers are lily like, these plants are not true lilies.

Insanely Beautiful, but Deadly

Gloriosa is a genus of 12 species in the plant family Cholchicaceae. They are tender, tuberous rooted deciduous perennials, adapted to summer rainfall with a dormant dry season. All parts of the plant contain colchicines and related alkaloids which makes them toxic if ingested and fatal if consumed in large doses. Small doses of colchicine are used in traditional medicines in both Africa and India, as well as pharmaceuticals in the U.S. Skin irritations can result from contact with the stems and leaves. Clearly not a plant you want to have around small children or pets.

The genus is found in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and from the Indian subcontinent in Malaysia. The national flower of Zimbabwe, Gloriosa superba is widely naturalized in coastal Australia, where it is considered a rampant and dangerous invasive weed. It is also considered a noxious weed in some Pacific islands and parts of the United States.

How to Grow Your own Gloriosa Garden

While propagation generally occurs from seeds, mature plants can be divided and grown from tubers. Outdoors, tubers should be planted horizontally 2-4” deep and 8-12” apart in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soil after the last frost date. These plants do best with some afternoon shade. Because the tubers are brittle and difficult to dig up, many gardeners leave the tubers in pots or containers year-round. They work well as houseplants in a bright sunny window, with watering tapered off after blooming to induce dormancy.

The plant also produces fruit, which are large fleshy capsules that turn from green to yellow and eventually dark brown. These fruits contain numerous large, rounded, or ovoid shaped seeds. There are several named cultivars, including Citrina, which is yellow with maroon stripes, Lutea, which is all yellow, and Nana, which is a dwarf form. One brightly colored variety called Gloriosa Rothschildiana was named after the second Baron Rothschild who is credited with bringing the flower to Europe from Africa.

Bulbs are sold on Amazon and Plants Delight Nursery, and you can find seeds on Etsy. Here are the links:

ttps://www.amazon.com/Plants-GLORIOSA-SUPERBA-Flower-Viable/dp/B00LQIS1NS

Gloriosa superba Greenii

https://www.etsy.com/listing/530587243/100-gloriosa-superba-seeds-flame-lily?ref=pla_similar_listing_top-4&frs=1

Comments: 0 Posted by: Categories: Flowers Generally, Any Time, Flower Keeping Tips, Fun Flower Facts, Seasonal

The Right Flowers for a Pesticide-Free Garden

May 12, 2016

Are you interested in growing a garden that doesn’t require any harmful chemicals for maintenance? Consider a garden grown through the organic practice of incorporate flowers with specific abilities to keep bugs (and other critters who would enjoy feasting on your flowers) away naturally.

Growing a Garden Without Pesticides and Herbicides

When you know the tricks Mother Nature uses to make crops and flowers flourish, without needing a harsh chemical substance as protection, you can replicate her wonder and magic in your own garden.

To grow a pesticide-free garden, follow the natural methods that organic and biodynamic gardeners use to grow stunning plants that don’t put people, pets, and the planet in danger.

Growing a garden without pesticides is as simple as choosing flowers that act as a natural bug and animal control. To start, you’ll opt for beautiful and aromatic blooms that are known to pull double or triple duty, offering assistance in creating a safe and gorgeous space for all to enjoy.

There are many flowers that you can include in a garden to keep bugs and critters away naturally. The following are just a few of them.

Borage

Borage is a flower typically grown for culinary purposes in Britain, but it’s not that well known or used in the United States. Borage produces pretty, heart-shaped blossoms that keep unwanted visitors away (specifically cabbage worms and hornworms) and that can be used in teas, salads, and medicinal tinctures you may want to make.

Clover

Clover grows like grass does, so it makes a perfect soil cover to keep weeds from popping up where you don’t want them. It’s also great for keeping animals off of your garden’s soil and deterring aphids from congregating in your garden. You can choose from more than 100 varieties of clover. We love the small green clover that has little pink flowers.

Chrysanthemums

The big, beautiful chrysanthemum is gorgeous in flower arrangements and in gardens. It offers many color options for an outdoor space, and it’s ideal for keeping all of the flowers in your garden (and garden-grown fruits and veggies) safe because it contains a chemical called pyrethin that’s toxic to insects but safe for animal and human consumption. Nematodes, Japanese beetles, and other bugs will way to stay far away from Chrysanthemum.

Use these flowers to create a safe, organic garden as well as a garden that’s visually appealing and perfect for any space.

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Ideas for Creating Flowering Succulent Displays

March 3, 2016

Do you love the clean and streamlined look of succulents? We do, and since we love flowers, we especially love flowering succulents that bloom in various colors. If you want to incorporate flowering succulents into your home like we’ll be doing, inside or outside of your house, consider the following arrangement ideas:

Succulents in a Bowl

Think about putting Sedum Angelina, pale purple ghost plants, and silvery Echeveria in a bowl and displaying them on the kitchen table or countertop. These flowering succulents also look stunning on a patio garden.

Pint-Sized Dessert Garden

If you align thimble cactus and golden barrel cactus with perfect symmetry, in a mini flower bed or box, you can have a beautiful flowering succulent garden to display nearly anywhere. Consider spreading some charcoal-colored gravel in between the succulents for added texture.

Vertical Garden

Purchase, or make, a planter box that you can affix on a wall and fill it full of flowering succulents. Pack them in tight for the best effect, and consider playing with design by making shapes with different colors of your flowers.

Textured Pots

Find some large ceramic pots and grab yourself at least five varieties of flowering succulents of different textures, and of varying heights. Kangaroo paws, Coral Drift, and Afterglow are perfect for creating a textured flowering succulent arrangement.

Miniature Succulent Landscape

If you have even a bit of land to work with, border off an area and create a miniature succulent landscape (you can create a flat bed on a patio for your landscape too, if you have room). Use succulents that flower in shades of plum and pink. Put some flowers in the ground and place a handful in pots on top of the ground.

As you create floral art with succulents, keep your mind open to spontaneous inspiration. Have fun with your masterpiece in progress, knowing that whatever it looks like when you’re done will surely be beautiful.

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Choosing the Right Flowers for Your Home if you Have Pets

March 3, 2016

The ASPCA recommends that people with companion animals living in their home be careful about the flowers kept in the house, or in the garden. If you have pets, do you know which flowers are safe for you to have around your animal friends and which have the potential to cause serious harm?

Because we love flowers, and animals, we want to share with you some of the best flowers to keep in your home if you have pets and tell you which ones might be toxic if you don’t know. It’s completely possible to reside harmoniously with plants and furry critters; it simply takes a bit of planning to get the right balance so do consider setting aside some time to think things through.

Animals can be curious, and they can find their way into areas (and things) that we never thought they’d get into. To help you arrange your flowers and home so that your furry friends stay unharmed, refer to the following guide to animal-friendly and potentially dangerous blooms.

Flowers that are Safe for Animals

The stems and petals of the following flowers are animal friendly and safe for pets:

  • African daisy
  • African violet
  • Alyssum
  • Bachelors buttons
  • Celosia
  • Common snapdragon
  • Easter daisy
  • Orchids
  • Peruvian lily
  • Brazilian lily
  • Rose

Flowers that are Toxic to Dogs and Cats

Don’t keep these flowers in your home, or yard, if you have dogs or cats. Even if you place these blooms up high, the flower petals may fall and your dog may eat them. And cats, well cats seem to get into whatever they want so it’s best to not have the following flowers anywhere in your house.

  • Tulips
  • Azalea
  • Bird of paradise
  • Aloe
  • Begonias
  • Baby’s breath
  • Amaryllis
  • Easter lilies
  • Stargazer lilies

Choose Non-Toxic Flowers if You’re Giving a Bouquet as a Gift

If you’re giving a bouquet as a gift, it’s a good idea to consider whether or not your recipient has companion animals living at home with them. If so, refer to the lists above so that you can make flower choices that will truly benefit your giftee.

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Growing Bulbs Indoors

February 25, 2016

Do you love the idea of growing bulbs but lack garden space to do so? As long as you have an area indoors where you can put potted plants, so that they’ll receive adequate sunlight or temperatures, you can grow bulbs.

Growing bulbs inside of your home, or your in your place of business, can bring a bit of spring or summertime to you if you’re not able to enjoy it outside. It’s easy to make this happen, you just need to plan ahead.

Choose Your Bulbs

There are two kinds of bulbs that you can grow indoors, those you don’t need to chill and those you do. Bulbs that don’t need chilling are ones that grow naturally in temperate climates. These bulbs include the beautiful Amaryllis and paperwhites. They don’t require any cooling period because their native climates aren’t chilly. Most other bulbs are found in cool-temperature regions, so you’ll need to chill them to help them blossom. These bulbs include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, Dutch irises, and crocus.

Bulbs That Don’t Need Chilling

Bulbs you don’t have to chill can grow with a simple planting procedure. All you need to do is fill a pot with soil and push the bulbs down inside. If you want, you can even place your bulbs in a shallow bowl and place pebbles around, and over, them. Water both planting versions and watch the bulbs bloom in about four weeks (make sure these bulbs are placed where they receive partial sunlight during the day).

Bulbs You Need to Chill

The bulbs that naturally grow in cool temperatures use a biochemical response process to begin the development of an embryonic flower, which will soon become a full-grown flower. These bulbs require at least 16 weeks of cold before a flower will start to blossom and become fully grown. Then, you can place them into warm and sunny areas. If you don’t adhere to this cooling process, you may still get a flower from your bulb but it will likely be stunted.

Growing Chilled and Non-Chilled Bulbs Indoors

To grown bulbs indoors, you simply need to choose the bulbs you want and then plant them, or prepare them for planting, according to their varieties’ needs. The easies bulbs to grow inside (although none are extraordinarily difficult), include hyacinths, crocus, and mini-daffodils. Sometimes, you can get luck and easily grown tulips in your house or other space. Try to place your bulbs in bowls or pots that are about four to 6 inches deep, and leave at least 2 inches below the bulb for the roots to grow. It’s okay if the tops of the bulbs are even with the bowl or pot’s rim. Finally, give your bulbs a good watering after planting, offer moderate water during the waiting phase, and enjoy them when they finally come into bloom.

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Flowers that Love the Rain

February 11, 2016

Do you live in an area that gets lots of rain? If so, take advantage of the situation and grow flowers in your garden that love rainy weather.

The following flowers soak up rain like we soak up beauty. Which means, they’re like a sponge so plant them in your yard or on your patio, and then delight in them as they grow through the rain and sunshiny days.

Forget Me Not

Forget me nots love water and they thrive when planted near water’s edge. These delicate-looking flowers appear like a cloud of color on days when it’s monochrome outside. Forget me nots are short-lived perennials, but they self seed so you may find them popping up here and there throughout the year.

Japanese Primrose

Japanese primrose is a spring-blooming flower that loves April and May showers. It puts out 18-inch-tall clusters of blooms in pink, white, red, and magenta. The Japanese primrose has long flower stalks, which makes it perfect for cutting and bringing blossoms into the house on a rainy day.

Swamp Milkweed

If you haven’t seen swamp milkweed, don’t let its name lead you to think the flower is ordinary or not pretty. The swamp milkweed simply loves wet, wet soil. It happily grows almost anywhere, but put it where there’s tons of water and it’ll thrive. This rain-loving flower attracts monarchs and other butterflies when the sun comes out.

Calla Lily

Calla lilies are graceful flowers that often grow close to the ocean and they love damp soil. They come in a stunning array of colors, from white and yellow to pink and red. You’ll even find calla lilies in bronze, orange, and maroon. Calla lilies are long-lasting flowers that are excellent for cutting.

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are many people’s favorite flower, so some individuals are often ecstatic when they find out they can grown these blooms in super-rainy climates. Hydrangeas absolutely love moisture, as might be evident when you consider that their name comes from the Latin word “hydra.”

Plant these flowers where the rain can pour down on them and you’ll be showered with beauty, and abundance, for your home and garden.

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Pet-Friendly Houseplants for “Love Your Pet” Day

February 15, 2015

After all the hearts and flowers of Valentine’s Day have passed, February 20th offers the opportunity to celebrate the relationship you may have with a furry, four-legged friend on national “Love Your Pet” day. This odd holiday makes purr-fect sense to those of you who count animals among your favorite company and should be celebrated with some tasty treats and a good scratch behind the ears. If, along with being an animal lover, you also have a penchant for green plants, keep in mind that some houseplants may not mix well with cats or dogs. Take a look at the list below before heading to the florist or garden center to make sure your pets and potted plants live in harmony.

Toxic to dogsPeace Lily
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum spp.) is one of the most common houseplants you see in homes. Large, long, glossy, green leaves sprout below tall stems of white, hood-like flowers. Easy to grow and tolerant of medium light, this one may already be one of your collection. Unfortunately, as a member of the Arum (Araceae) family, this plant produces a chemical compound similar to that found in human kidney stones that creates microscopic, extremely sharp crystals called raphides. When chewed and swallowed, they can cause swelling in the throat and mouth making it difficult for most mammals to breathe. Almost all plants within this family contain some levels of this toxin, including the popular arrowhead plants (Syngonium podophyllum) and Philodendron.

Try this instead….
American rubber plant (sometimes called baby rubber plant) is known by the Latin name Peperomia obstusifolia and is a great substitute. With rounded, glossy leaves that can sometimes be variegated, this plant will grow in similar conditions without harming your dog.
For something a little different, consider the aluminum plant (Pilea cadieri), whose interesting variegation almost looks like streaks of silver running down the leaves.Aluminium Plant

Toxic to cats
The spiky leaves of Dracaenas are very tempting to cats, who love to nibble on the ends of these sun-loving plants. While a few bits won’t hurt, the saponins in most species will cause vomiting and illness in cats. There are many members of the genus Dracaena that are common houseplants, including Cornplant Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans) and red-edge Dracaena. The bitter taste is a turn-off for most cats, but it’s hard to know the mind of a cat.

Try this instead…African Violet
African violets are cute and furry- much like your favorite feline- but wouldn’t hurt a flea. Their pretty purple flowers and rounded leaves will do great in a sunny window (if your cat is willing to share).

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What to Do With Poinsettias Once They’ve Bloomed

December 30, 2014

After the last few refrains of Christmas carols fade and the once magnificent tree’s dry needles have begun to carpet the floor, thoughts of packing up the decorations and starting off the new year fresh leaves one standing in front of pots of poinsettias and wondering what to do. While they make the perfect potted plants for the holiday season, the typical shelf life of a poinsettia falls far short of fruitcake, making it last about as long as the New Year’s resolutions in most US homes. What many people may not realize is that this holiday plant can make an excellent houseplant all year long with not much extra maintenance. Getting them to re-bloom in the coming year is an exciting challenge for anyone up to the task and even creating new ones from the existing plant is easy using the following guide for 2015.

January
If the poinsettia is wrapped in foil, remove it and place the container (be sure it has holes on the bottom) on a saucer in order to ensure proper drainage. Fertilize the plant with a multipurpose fertilizer and allow it the soil to dry completely between watering. While the poinsettia may look like a lush, tropical rainforest plant, it is actually native to drier parts of Central America and does best in soil that drains quickly and doesn’t sit in water.

March
By now, your poinsettia will have lost most of it’s winter color and instead resembles a long-legged and leafy green plant. Now is a great time to make more poinsettias by clipping off the top 3 to 4 inches of each branch. Dip these cuttings in a powdered rooting hormone available at your local garden center and place into moist potting soil in a warm, sunny room. Water the new cuttings more often, keeping soil moist for the first couple of weeks. If you are not interesting in making more poinsettias, it is still a great idea to trim back the top half of the plant to encourage new, more vigorous growth to form.

June
Once the threat of cold weather has past, your poinsettias would love a spot outside on a shaded porch or other location with indirect sunlight. Their foliage will add height to a planted container or they can be placed individually for a bit of greenery around the patio. Water as you would your typical bedding plants and cut back branches that get too tall or leggy.

September
Before the temperatures drop, cut back the the branches of your poinsettia until only a few sets of leaves remain above the soil level and bring inside. Water with a fertilizer and place in a sunny window. The red “flowers” of the poinsettia are actually brightly colored leaves that initiate when the plant gets a specific amount of light. If you’d like to have the poinsettia color up in time for the winter holiday season, expose it to about 11 hours of sunny light and 13 hours of darkness each day. This works great in a room that is not typically used every day, as one that has artificial light that is on at night can affect this cycle.

December
If you had a hard time following these directions, simply chuck the poinsettia and buy a new one each year. Better luck in 2016!

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Norfolk Island Pine- a Real Christmas Tree that Will Last For Years to Come

November 30, 2014

Few things get you in the holiday spirit faster than the soft needles and piney fragrance of a fresh cut Christmas tree decorated with lights and ornaments. What’s not to enjoy about the star-topped glory of a tree ringed with presents waiting for Christmas morning- other than the fantastic mess it will make as you haul the brittle, dried-out boughs out the door a few weeks later. For this reason, many folks have move to artificial trees, missing out on the feeling of a fresh tree standing bright inside the living room on these cold, winter nights. A perfect compromise is the Norfolk Island Pine. This soft-needled evergreen is a wonderful and easy-to-grow houseplant that looks gorgeous growing all year long, but is especially lovely all lit up with lights and tinsel during the holiday season. The best part of all- you can have a fresh tree to trim every December without every having to toss it out in January.

The Norfolk Island Pine is not actually a true pine tree, being instead from the older and less populous genus Araucaria, which is native to many small islands and areas around the South Pacific. It gets its common name from the small Norfolk Island, located between New Zealand and Australia, and from the fact that it resembles the symmetrical shape and sweeping branches of the more common pine tree. It is often called the living Christmas tree or star pine and has become quite a popular Christmas tree alternative over the last few years. Often sold at garden centers, florists and even grocery stores around December in one to five gallon containers, proper care will allow this affordable plant to grow about one foot per year, usually topping off around 5 to 7 feet- just right for a few strands of light and a star on top come Christmas time.

When selecting a Norfolk Island Pine, be sure to look closely at the branches. Many places will spray the entire plant with a glitter that looks lovely in the light, but that will ultimately block the stomata, small pores that allow the plant to exchange gases and transpire water. This causes them to eventually die within several months. For this reason, many people who have previously purchased this plant might feel that they are hard to care for, which could not be further from the case. Indirect, bright light such as that from a room with a sunny window and a little bit of fertilizer a couple of times each year are all you really need (aside from regular watering) to keep the plant healthy and alive between Yuletides. A bit of extra moisture in a dry climate from a spray bottle with water will keep the needles soft and green all seasons of the year.

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Thanksgiving Centerpieces that are Sure to Please

November 18, 2014

Thanksgiving.
The day we give thanks for all the good people and good fortune we have in our lives- and then stuff our faces. No matter what your favorite dish is you look forward to seeing around that table each year, the fresh flowers and greens from a lovely Thanksgiving centerpiece will be a delight that everyone will enjoy throughout the long day of eating and for days to come. All sorts of different styles and arrangements can be made to order at your local florist and if you’re heading over to someone’s house for the big meal you can pick one up ready made for the perfect hostess gift. Whether you choose a simple round arrangement or a cornucopia of flowers, a centerpiece will add freshness and flair to the occasion and most come with candles that can be lit to make the meal more elegant and festive. Below are several different styles to choose from, along with tips for making them last longer than the leftovers.

Simple, Round Centerpieces
These look best on round tables and take up the least space if you have a large gathering and limited tabletop. Available without ordering at local florists and grocery stores with a floral section, these should be added to your shopping list and are very easy to care for. Most will be made with fresh greens such as leatherleaf fern or even some sprigs of evergreens. Those made with seasonal mums and carnations will last for at least two weeks if you add a bit of water. The containers holding the greens and flowers contain a green, sponge-like foam that absorbs water and holds the stems in place. If you add a cup full of water every few days, the arrangement will stay fresh for a long time. Even after the flowers have faded, simply pull them out and enjoy just the greenery or buy a few new stems to trim and add on your own.

Low, Rectangular Centerpieces
These look amazing at the center of a long table and are often made short enough to not to block conversation across the table (not always a benefit if the cousins still haven’t learned to chew with their mouths closed. Try finding one with candles, or simply add your own. Tapered candles can be pushed down into the floral foam inside quite easily and can be replaced whenever they’ve burned low, so add a few to your very full shopping cart as well and enjoy these arrangement through the rest of the year.

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Orchids for Beginners

November 5, 2014

Exotic, oddly erotic, and with features so diverse and highly evolved they are hypnotic to look at, orchids are typically not considered a good “beginner” plant. While their care is different than your typical peace lily or other more common houseplants, they should not intimidate even those with self-proclaimed brown thumbs. With so many different species to choose from, there are several that are well suited to your living room, and require only slightly more care than a typical potted plant. With blooms lasting for a month or more, they are a much better value than a bouquet of cut flowers, even if you can’t keep it alive for much longer than that. Here are a couple of tips and tricks, however, that should have them blooming joyfully again and again.

Choose the right species
With over 880 different genera containing more than 25,000 different species, the Orchid Family is the largest and most diverse of all flowering plants. Highly adapted to specific environmental conditions, different types of orchids can be found growing anywhere from canopies of the tropical rainforests to the tundra floor. Several genera that are grown commercially as houseplants are suited for the constant, average temperatures of the typical home, such as Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) or Dendrobiums. Most florists and grocers choose these types over the others because they are well adapted as houseplants and are easy to grow. So should you.

Choose the right growing media
While a potting mix is fine for most houseplants, many orchids are naturally epiphytic, meaning they grow up in trees rather than in the ground. This allows for unique features, like aerial roots that are able to photosynthesize. For this reason, a growing media such as small pieces of bark mixed in with peat is often used. You can pick up a bag, if your are potting up your own, at any garden center where they might also sell beautiful containers with holes in their sides as well as in the bottom to promote better drainage and air circulation. While not big feeders, orchids benefit from a once-monthly fertilizer to encourage new blooms.

It’s how you water them, not how much
Contrary to popular belief, most orchids don’t like “wet feet” and letting them sit in a saucer of water can cause their roots to rot. Watering slowly, allows the growing media to absorb and store water for slow uptake by the roots. One way to speed up this process that many have found successful is to place an ice cube in the pot (not directly touching the plant) and allow it to melt over the course of time.

Orchids are not for everyone, but don’t let their special care scare you away. It’s just one more feature that makes the unique and so rewarding to grow.

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Hypericum Berries are the Perfect Accent Flower for Any Bouquet

September 4, 2014

Like a well-placed scarf or just the right shoes, accessories can transform one’s clothing into a certain “look.” So, too, can just the right accent flower in a bouquet or vase arrangement. With their cosmopolitan distribution and elegant, round fruit, the hypericum berry is the perfect addition to any floral arrangement. Sleek, yet natural looking, a few stems of these green, red or orange berries can add a certain “je ne sais quoi” to a bouquet of roses or a fistful of daisies. Add them to almost any bunch of flowers for a look that’s sure to be in style.

An absolutely fascinating plant, hypericum berries are the dry fruit of the St. John’s Wort plant. Touted for centuries as a tonic in folk remedies, this plant has been studied extensively by modern pharmacologists. Found to contain two important chemical compounds, hyperforin and hypericen, St. John’s Wort is now prescribed and sold over the counter in pills and teas to treat mild depression. As an ornamental, this plant can improve the mood with just one glance, and the long stems of firm, round berries can absolutely transform a common bouquet into something quite extraordinary. If you are looking to elevate an arrangement, simply place two of these stems- one towards the center and one on the outside- among the other flowers.

Available all year round, green hypericum berries are a great choice for spring and summer flowers and help turn even flowers from a florist cooler into a “just picked” wildflower bouquet. Their woody stems are sturdy, but narrow enough to not crowd a vase. Natural looking and long lasting, their addition to a vase of flowers can soften the look while actually strengthening the stems of other daintier flowers by helping to hold up heavier heads of gerber daisies or roses. Cutting them slightly shorter and placing them around the outside of alstroemeria or spray carnations can give you an arrangement that lasts for two weeks or more.

For a fall and winter floral arrangement, consider the red or bronze-colored hypericum berries. Even out of water, these stems will keep their color, so they are a great addition to a handmade wreath or tucked into the bow of a fancy wrapping job. Alone in a vase or mixed in with evergreen boughs, they add a splash of color and a sense of the outdoors in even the coldest months.

Accessorize your flowers with a little hypericum berry bling, and you’ll never have to worry about boring bouquets again.

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Send a Student off to College with a Colorful Croton Plant

July 28, 2014

As bags are being unpacked and books bought for the new semester, a splash of color in a drab dorm room or tiny apartment will bring a smile to your favorite college-bound kid’s face and brighten up their academic year. The croton is the perfect houseplant for sending a student off to college and will be a welcome reminder of home. Easy to care for with cheerful, multicolored leaves, the croton will thrive in a sunny corner from orientation until finals week.

While there is a genus of plants called Croton, with hundreds of different species around the world, the common name “croton” is used in reference to the plant Codiaeum variegatum– a specific species of flowering houseplant with leaves that come in a rainbow of colors. Native to parts of southern India, the colorful croton can grow into a large shrub but is sold as a houseplant suitable for smaller spaces in pots and containers. In tropical climates they make striking landscape plants with their large, flat, rubbery leaves that come in yellow, red, green and bright orange. In a container on a sunny windowsill, they will grow slow and steady over the course of a semester.

Crotons are specifically cultivated for the vibrant colors of their foliage. Leaves of some varieties are long and wide, reaching more that four inches across each leaf even when plants are small. Other varieties may have lobed or narrower leaves that twist and turn. The green edges are lines and crossed with veins of yellow, orange and red- all in the same leaves. These colors are created as pigments produced in the plant such as anthocyanin (red), lutens (yellow) and carotinoids (orange). The brighter the light exposure to the plant, typically, the brighter the colors of the leaves. If a croton is not getting enough light, it will start producing more chloroplast to capture any available light with its chlorophyll, resulting in a plant with more green in its leaves. If your student is a Biology major, try asking them to figure this out on their own!

Crotons are easy to find and often available at florists, garden centers and any place houseplants are found. While primarily grown for their foliage, the plant does produce a funky spike of white flowers from time to time when given plenty of sunlight. Send off your student with instructions to water it regularly and give it a lot of light and it should do beautifully right through graduation.

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DIY Fairy Gardens with these Fabulous Plants

June 19, 2014

Add a bit of magic to your house or garden by creating your own miniature landscape for sprites, fairies, nymphs or other otherworldly creatures. Choosing plants that stay small while adding color and texture to a terrarium, container or dish is the key to putting together a garden any fairy would be proud to call home. Great gifts for a child’s birthday or retirement party, these do-it-yourself tips will help you get started building your very own fairy garden.

Containers
Fairies are remarkably flexible as to the choice of container they will inhabit. A long, low terracotta pot (or even the large saucer of a pot) can be used. While you would never normally pot up any plant in a container without drainage holes on the bottom, if you find an old cooking dish or other container you like that doesn’t have holes (and you don’t want to bother drilling them), simply line the dish with gravel and then a bit of sand before adding potting soil to allow pore space for water to drain. This works great for fairy gardens you will bring indoors, but if you can’t regulate the flow of water (for example, if you put it outside and it gets watered by rain), it’s best to use something with drainage holes.

Soil
Add a bit of rocks or gravel to the bottom and a bit of sand, if it’s handy. You can usually find this at a garden shop, but it’s also fine to just scoop some up from outside and give them a quick rinse. Top off your container with a good potting soil mix that is light and fluffy.

Pink Polka Dot PlantFriendship PlantBaby's TearsAluminium Plant
Plants
Here’s the fun part! The best plant choices for fairy gardens tend to come from several families of tropical houseplants which are easy to grow and do well in a crowded space. Here are several good choices:
Pink-polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)– is a short, small-leafed plant with splashed of white and pink.
Friendship Plant (Pilea involucrata)– has crinkly-textured leaves in bright greens.
Baby’s Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii)- almost looks like moss with tiny little leaves and occasional white flowers.
Aluminum Plant (Pilea cadierei)- adds a bit of bling to your fairy garden with silvery-stripped leaves

Furniture
After a long day of flying around, your fairies will want a place to relax and unwind. The best way to quickly furnish your garden is to pick up some dollhouse furniture at your local thrift store or toy store. Add a garden path with pretty rocks or shells or a water feature with some shiny sea glass. With the growing popularity of these whimsical gardens, many florist and garden shops now have areas in their store with everything you need to create these magical landscapes. Just be sure to check references before letting any fairies move in.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Buying Lilies

May 29, 2014

Few flowers leave a stronger lasting impression or create a better focal point than lilies. Large, lush and available in a variety of colors and sizes, these blooms are the stars of hand-held bouquets, vase arrangements and centerpieces no matter what the occasion. Highly prized and heavenly scented, these flower shop stunners add proportion and pizzazz, but are often priced a bit higher than other typical hothouse stems. Here are a few tips for getting your money’s worth.

Count Your Closed Buds
While the large, open blooms of a lily are more likely to draw your attention, try to stay away from the stems with flowers that are completely open. Instead, look for buds that are just starting to open up inside your florist’s cooler. A few hours out at room temperature will have these blooms starting to unveil themselves and they will stay fresher and last longer than petals that are already out and about. The best ones to choose will have just a few petals peeking out to reveal the stamen and pistil.


Speaking of Stamens
Get rid of them! Lilies have very large, ahem, reproductive parts and produce a lot of dark, orange pollen on the ends of their anthers. While this grainy characteristic makes them fertile and fruitful, the pollen will often stain the inside of the petals and blemish the bloom of the lily. Using a tissue or paper towel, gently turn the stem upside down and pluck the pollen-making parts off the inside of the flower. The pollen will stain fingers and tabletops and is surprisingly hard to get out of clothing, but come right off quite easily. This simple task is a great way to keep white lilies white and an excellent way to protect tablecloths from the sometimes over exuberant fecundity of lilies.

Bottom’s Up
Always look for lily stems with as many blooms as possible and pay attention to which of those flowers are open. Lilies, like many other flowers, typically bloom from the bottom up. Rather than choose stems that have the most open flowers at the moment, pick ones that have one or two bottom flowers open with several closed buds towards to top. Many times florists will put lilies on the discounted aisle if the bottom buds have bloomed and gone, but as long as there are a few at the top of the stem that have started to open, you’ll have another week or two to appreciate these flowers that are definitely worth the price.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Picking the Freshest Flowers

May 22, 2014

Part of the joy of fresh cut flowers is their fleeting nature; knowing they are here to bring beauty and joy for a short time, eventually to fade away with only the pleasant memory and lingering scent of their presence. Without the need for space and utility of other gifts, they delight everyone, match everything and are almost always the perfect thing to say in any situation. Buying fresh flowers is as pleasing to the giver as to the receiver and a few pointers on how to choose the stems that will last the longest and bloom the biggest will take the guesswork out of the process. Just like sniffing oranges and thumping melons, there are many techniques for picking out the perfect blooms. Try a few of these the next time you step into the floral aisle and bring home the freshest bouquet ever.

Sniffing Stems
Seems strange, but well worth the weird looks. Cut flowers have been removed from their root systems and must take up water and nutrients added to the water through the vascular tissue in their stems. Anything that blocks or damages this tissue will limit the amount and quality of the water brought up through the stem and into the flowers themselves, which can lead to wilting, bruising and early dropping of petals. When cut flowers are processed, buckets and water should be clean and sterilized to prevent any bacteria from developing and blocking the vascular tissue or causing it to decay early. Any mold or black, soft spots on stems are an indicator that this process has started. A quick sniff to the bottoms of stems (the part in the water) will alert you to the presence of any mold or bacteria. Stems should smell sweet and tangy, like grass, and be green and white to indicate the cut is fresh and absorbing water properly.

Squeezing Buds
Sounds naughty, but if you want those roses to last, pick ones that are firm and solid in the middle when you squeeze the sides of the flower. Roses that are open and wide look lovely, but are on their way out. If you choose ones that are still firm in the middle, they will open slowly over the next several days and last a week or more.

Keeping Cool
Even hot house flowers from sunny climates should be kept out of direct sunlight and in a display cooler (tropical stems like orchids excepted). Once flowers have been cut from the plant, they will mature more slowly in cooler temperatures and last much longer than those displayed outside. If you see a stem you like, ask the florist if they have some in the cooler in back and you can be sure they’ll be blooming long after the ones outside on display.

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Freesias are the Flowers to Help You Stay Motivated

April 22, 2014

Setting goals and achieving them can be its own reward, but a little treat from time to time to keep you motivated sure doesn’t hurt. Whether you’re sticking to a diet, changing a bad habit into a healthy one or checking off your to-do list at an impressive rate, a fresh vase of freesias are a great way to congratulate yourself on a job well done. Low calorie, low maintenance and high impact, these graceful blooms will fill a room with a lovely fragrance that is rivaled only by the sweet smell of success and will be a pleasure to look at when you raise your nose from that grindstone. While the reward of reaching your goal is just on the horizon, treating yourself to these satisfying stems are a great way to mark the milestones of any challenging journey.

Freesias are originally native to Africa, but have become an important flower in the floral industry due to their elegant arrangement of funnel-shaped blooms that open upward along an arched and dainty stem. Each individual thumb-sized flower opens from the base to the tip, revealing buttery-rich colored petals and a distinctive scent that is both clean and intriguing. Soft gold, deep purple and pretty pink shades tend to give off a sweeter smell while the solid white ones are a bit more spicy, almost like black pepper. Arranged in a solid color or a mix of several different ones, these stems look spectacular on their own or mixed with purple irises or any variety of lilies.

According to the language of flowers, freesias are said to symbolize perseverance and thoughtfulness. What better way to celebrate your determination towards reaching a goal than with several of these stems placed somewhere in your line of vision to look at when you need encouragement. While a little on the pricier side at $2-$3 a stem, florist will often sell these in a bunch at a better rate. Since most stems have more than one bloom on them, you can fill a vase for less than $10 that will last a week or more as each individual flower opens up from base to tip. To make freesias, and any other cut flower last a little longer, dump out the water in the vase every 3 to 4 days and add fresh, warm water. This simple technique can add many extra days to cut stems.

While you are out moving mountains, don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers. With freesias, you won’t need a reminder to do just that!

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Cinerarias are the Right Flowers to Send Someone Moving into a Retirement Home

April 16, 2014

While most of us would prefer the familiar comforts of our own home, there often comes a time that the best move is to move somewhere with a bit more support. Make a new room feel a lot more like home with a lovely pot of cineraria placed in a pretty pot with a welcoming card. Florist’s cineraria, identified by the Latin name Pericallis hybrida, make a lovely statement with purple and white daisy-like flowers that are cheerful and bright. Best of all, with a little water, these plants will flower upwards of 4 to 6 weeks, creating a pleasant atmosphere for a month or more.

Cineraria are relatives of the sunflower in the Asteraceae family, but have short stems and soft, broad leaves. With purple petals that fade inward to white and a center “eye” of yellow or darker shades, the dainty daisies tend to flower all at once, covering the entire plant with bountiful blooms about 2-3 inches in diameter. The foliage is a bright green that makes for an interesting houseplant. While cineraria are true annuals that will flower only once, their abundance of long-lasting blooms will make the first month in a new place a lot brighter.

One of the best features of this flowering plant is that it actually prefers a bit more shade and will actually bloom longer if kept out of direct sunlight. This saves the windowsill for other houseplants, picture frames or knick-knacks and will add color to a dark corner or nightstand where the light is less strong. If the cineraria arrives in colorful foil or other wrapping, be sure to take it out and set it in a saucer or plate where water is able to drain. Like most of us, this plant doesn’t like “wet feet” and will last longer if it’s not sitting directly in water. Consider adding polished rocks with names or messages painted on them or bring a bit of the old home here with stones found in the yard to place around the bottom saucer.

Native to the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain, this interesting flowering plant was perfected in the breeding programs of the British Royal Gardens in the late eighteenth century. Despite its advanced age in the floral world, this spectacular plant is anything but old-fashioned. Many folks will see it for the first time entering the room and this can help start new conversations with many new neighbors and staff. Plants and flowers have a language all their own that can bridge the gap between strangers. Whether folks have been lifelong gardeners or simply remember the specific scent of a flower from a time long ago, plants can spark connections and conversation. Help someone begin a new chapter with a lovely pot of cineraria.

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Flowering Stock are the Best Flowers for a Woman Dreading a Birthday

April 10, 2014

Let’s hope we have reason to celebrate every trip around the sun, but if the approach of a big birthday milestone is heading toward someone you love like an extinction-causing asteroid, send them flowering stock to remind them of the earthly pleasures of growing another year older. These tall, luscious annuals are native to cool, temperate climates and take time to mature and develop into the rich, densely-flowered stems that they are. Unlike the hothouse buds that come and go like a falling star, these delicate but substantial blooms will brighten up a room like a comet across the night sky.

Few things are as lovely and distinguished as a vase full of flowering stock. Upright, lush and thick with blooms, the succulent stems of stock bear flowers in the purest white, deepest magenta and velvety purples. Individual double-petaled flowers line the entire upper stalk, opening all at once to reveal soft lines of rich colors. While frequently mixed in with other flowers to add color and smell to a vase arrangement, flowering stock have been too long overlooked as filler flowers behind roses and lilies. Much more affordable at only $1-$3 a stem, make an impact by filling a vase with a dozen stems in a solid color. No greens or other distracting accessory flowers are necessary, as these beauties can hold their own.

Perhaps the most beguiling feature of this gorgeous Mediterranean native is its delicious scent. Spicy and complex, the smell is refined and mature, much like your birthday gal. Unlike the cloying sweetness of young roses or the powdery perfume of aging lilies, the scent of flowering stock can fill a room like an intriguing question in a quiet audience; subtle and thought provoking.

According to the language of flowers, also known as floriography, flowering stock is a symbol of a happy life and is thought to represent a contented existence. While the sentiment is a pleasant one, and surely only comes with age and maturity, the seductive stems of flowering stock will remind your aging beauty that romance and passion are still a part of life long after the bloom of youth may have faded.

Flowering stock are available year-round from florists and will last over a week as cut flowers. The key to keeping these lovelies looking fresh is to be sure they have plenty of fresh water and replacing the water in the vase every few days will have these blooms looking their best in the days to come. Surprise your lady of a certain age with flowers that are certain to please.

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7 Tips for Buying Quality Flowers

March 21, 2012

Are you looking for an exquisite bouquet of flowers for someone special, but not sure where to start? Have you decided to finally try your hand at flower arranging, but unsure how to purchase flowers like a pro? Here are 7 easy steps to help you ensure that you are buying the healthiest, highest quality flowers that you can find:

  1. Don’t buy flowers that have been placed outside for display. These flowers have been exposed to environmental stresses such as weather, cigarette smoke of passers by, passing dogs and smog.
  2. Check the petals and ensure that they are not dry, or limp. Ensure that there are no brown spots. For flowers with dense petals, such as roses and peonies, be sure to gently check the middle petals as well.
  3. Make sure the leaves are fresh. The leaves can often be the first sign that something is wrong with the flower. You are looking for green, strong leaves that are free of discoloration and holes, and that are not overly dry or slimy. If the leaves are not healthy, this suggests that the flowers are old and/or sick.
  4. Inspect the stem for strength. A healthy stem will be strong, and when you hold the base of it, the flower will stand up on its own (or at least will try if flower is heavier). The stem should be crisp and green, like healthy asparagus, not weak and limp. Also ensure that the stem is not slimy or malodorous, as this can be a sign that the flower has been in water for awhile, further indicating that it is not fresh.
  5. Look for barely open blooms. For flowers that start with a closed bloom and then unfurl, such as roses, look for buds that are closed, but showing a little color at the top. This means that the flower is soon blooming so you can ensure that you maximize how long you have the flowers, and also enjoy the beauty of their bloom.
  6. Beware where you buy. If you are buying the arrangement, ensure that you are choosing a good florist. Websites where consumers can rate local business, such as Yelp.com, are helpful because you can read about the types of experiences that others have had. Particularly important is to see if the floral shop responded to, and remedied, any bad reviews that they received.
  7. Be prepared. If you are setting out to arrange your own flowers, make sure are prepared to handle those beautiful, healthy flowers you brought home. The Complete Guide to Flower Arranging, by Jane Packer, offers step-by-step instructions on how to complete several arrangements, including fresh and dried arrangements.

With a little patience, persistence and know-how, you can feel confident that you are buying the best flowers available for you and others to enjoy as long as possible.

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How To Keep Cut Flowers Fresh Longer

March 27, 2010

Fresh cut flowers bring beauty and pleasure wherever they are, and keeping cut flowers fresh longer gives you longer to enjoy them. How to keep fresh cut flowers fresh as long as possible is fairly straightforward, and this article will explain the process you should go through to extend the life of your flowers, to extend your enjoyment of them. So what is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh the longest?

When you get the flowers home
keeping flowers fresh longerAs soon as you have the flowers at home you should put them in fresh water. Unwrap them, or remove them from the water they’re in. You’re going to cut about an inch off the stems. You should cut at about a 45 degree angle, and not straight across – flowers take up water through the stem, and cutting at an angle gives a greater area through which the flower will absorb water. Make sure you use a sharp knife or sharp shears – you don’t want to crush the stem, instead you want to make a clean through cut. Be sure to remove any foliage that will be in or under water – all you want in the water is the stem, no buds or leaves.

Once you’ve cut the stems, pick a clean vase (if you need to clean one, wash with hot water and detergent, and rinse well.) We recommend glass, ceramic or hard plastic; not metal, which can sometimes interact with the chemicals that you’ll be mixing in with the water.

keeping flowers fresh longerFill the vase to the appropriate height with fresh-drawn cool water. Florists may use warm water to revive wilting flowers, but cool temperatures help to prolong the life of flowers; why do you think many flowers are stored and transported in a refrigerator before finally being made into a bouquet? It keeps them fresher, longer. Into this water you should mix the sachet of powder that came with your flowers (if you often have flowers in the house, you can pick up cut flower preservative at the grocery store.) We do not recommend you use anything other than commercial preservatives; these contain not only food for the flower (usually sucrose), but also a fungicide, a bactericide and an acidifer. You’ll have better success with commercial preservatives.

Now you can arrange the flowers in the vase, being sure to leave space around each individual blossom. Crowding them all in together doesn’t just look unappealing, but can reduce their lifetime too.

Choose the location carefully
The right location will also help extend the life of your cut flowers. Keep out of direct strong, mid-day sunlight. Place your vase well away from extremes of temperature, being particularly careful to avoid high heat. Heaters, heating vents, cooking surfaces, and hot televisions sap the life from flowers.

Position the vase away from fruit; apples and other fruit give off ethylene gas, which will shorten the life span of your flowers.

Daily tasks
keeping flowers fresh longerTo extend the life of your flowers as long as possible, you should recut the stems and change the water (adding preservative) daily. If your flowers are particularly thirsty, you can add water between your daily trimming; you should also think about the location in which the flowers are being displayed, as high temperatures will cause high water absorption and transpiration. Consider moving them.

Pinch out or cut off any fading blooms, to ensure the flower’s remaining energy is going into maintaining the healthy blooms, or helping buds or developing flowers to mature.

By following these simple steps you’ll be sure of keeping your flowers alive and vibrant for as long as possible, enabling you to enjoy their shape, color and fragrance.

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Which Cut Flowers Last The Longest?

March 26, 2010

Which cut flowers last the longest, and how can you prevent cut flowers wilting and fading? If you’re looking for cut flowers that keep the longest, along with some tips and tricks for how to get the best out of your blooms, read on.

The three most popular cut flowers in the United States for the last several years have been roses, carnations and chrysanthemums. How do these favorites fare for longevity?

  • pink rose, which cut flowers last the longestFresh roses have a vase life of 7 to 10 days, if you keep them in cool water. Here’s a tip if you need them to bloom open in time for an occasion: if you buy them from a florist, gently squeeze the bud. If there’s lots of give, don’t buy it. You want firm, tight buds. If you need to have them bloom quickly, put them in slightly warmed water when you get them home.
  • carnations pink, meaning of flowers, keeping cut flowers alive longer, long-lasting cut flowersCarnations can last for between two and three weeks. Remove foliage below the water level, and keep what foliage remains out of direct sunlight. To encourage them to last a little longer, you can ruffle your fingers through the petals.
  • chrysanthemum purple, language of flowers, long-lasting flowersChrysanthemums can last as long as a month, but you have to keep the water clean (they’re quite susceptible to water-borne bacteria, while will have them fade and wilt pretty quickly if you’re not on top of it.) Some find that gently scraping the bottom inch or two of the stem helps with water uptake, helping to keep the blooms fresher.

Orchids are long-lasting, as long as you follow the usual basic care for all cut flowers (every day or two, trim the stems and change the water). You should expect about three weeks life for a fresh orchid. The gladiolas has a vase life of about two weeks, which you can extend a little by thinning out the fading blooms. Another popular flower with a good life span is the lily, which has a vase life of about two weeks. You can extend this if you remove the pollen as the blooms open – this also prevents staining. As the first set of lily blooms fade and brown, pinch them off to encourage the second set to blossom.

You can read our other flower keeping tips which will help you take care of your cut flowers, ensuring that you get enjoyment for the maximum duration, with only minimal effort.

Comments: 0 Posted by: Categories: Carnations, Chrysanthemum, Flower Keeping Tips, Flowers by Type, Gladiolas, Lilies, Orchids, Roses
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