Cut flowers are one of life's great pleasures -- especially the beautiful, artfully arranged bouquets of flowers utilizing exotic species that your florist can make up! It's a pity to waste all that gorgeousness … and there is a lot of confusion out there about the best way to care for flower arrangements.
If you don’t know …
Ask! This is especially true of the expectations you can have of your cut flowers. Your florist will be able to tell you how long a particular arrangement will last looking its best. They can also give you tips on keeping it looking good longer, like taking the earlier-decaying flowers out, pruning off withering leaves and petals, and so on.
Environmental factors
Being in a dry or hot place will mean your flower bouquet doesn't last as long. Keep the flowers as you would food -- away from direct sunlight, in a place that is neither too cool or too warm, and away from dehydrating things like ceiling fans, the tops of radiators and televisions. A humidifier can help your flowers last longer -- but does use electricity!
What to feed them
Flowers can still uptake some nutrients when they are cut, even without a root system. However, some people put all sorts of things in their cut flower vases -- sugar and salt, household fertilizers, and so on. Depending on what you use, this might actually shorten their life. Floral food has nutrients in carefully proportioned amounts, as well as anti-bacterial agents that don’t harm your flowers. Buy floral food from your florist or from a specialty shop for best results and no guessing!
After a few days
- If the water becomes cloudy, replace it entirely
- Recut the stems of the flowers with a very sharp knife or pair of scissors -- blunt scissors will damage the uptake systems
- Take off leaves that will be below the waterline, and remove any leaves that drop into the water; they promote bacterial growth
