KEEPING YOUR FLOWERS FRESH

 

Your flowers may look "tired" upon arrival because they are thirsty.  Restore their beauty by conditioning them properly:

Fill a clean vase with fresh, room-temperature water. Add the included cut-flower food.

Remove any leaves that will be below the waterline so they don't rot and encourage bacteria that shorten bloom life.

Fill a sink or bowl with water. Holding the stem ends underwater, cut them at a 45-degree angle using a sharp knife or pruners.

Change the water every 2 to 3 days. Make sure the vase is always full enough to keep the stems' ends submerged.

 

Add a few foxglove stalks around the existing flowers.

Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water for anemones, lilies, and gladioli.

Drop a pinch of salt into the water for roses, snapdragons and violets.

Mix two teaspoons of sugar or lemonade to water containing asters and delphiniums.

Drop a penny into a vase filled with tulips.

Reduce murky water by adding one aspirin tablet.

Spray a fine mist on leaves and blossoms during hot-weather periods.

Place your arrangement in a temperate location, away from direct sunlight and electrical appliances. Avoid particularly humid or drafty area.

 CARING FOR ROSES

 

 

 

 

Start with a very clean vase. Hold the roses next to your vase to gauge how much stem you’ll need to trim. Remove any discolored outer petals and any foliage that would be below the water line; submerged leaves rot and encourage bacteria that shortens bloom life. Removing thorns is optional, but can also shorten bloom life. If you choose to remove them to make arranging easier, carefully use a sharp blade to pare thorns away, working from the top of the stem down. Fill a sink with cool water. Using a sharp knife or pruners, cut stems underwater at a 45-degree angle so they don’t sit flat on the bottom of the vase, for better water absorption. If stems are especially woody, split them vertically an inch or so at the base so they draw more water. Immediately place stems in 2" of warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees). After five minutes, transfer them to a vase filled with cool water; the water level should not be above foliage. Add the included cut-flower food; use the extra pack with your first water change. To nourish flowers after the flower food is used up, refill your vase every day with a solution of one teaspoon sugar and two drops liquid bleach per gallon of fresh, cold water. Keep roses in a cool area to help them last; if you want them to open quickly, place them in full sunlight.
  

 

CARING FOR TULIPS

 

Tulip stems are prone to curving. Before arranging, roll the bunch in brown paper or newspaper and secure with twine; plunge the ends into cool water overnight. To arrange, start with a very clean vase. Fill it about one-third full with fresh, room-temperature water; tulips last longer in shallow water. Add the included cut-flower food to the vase. Hold each stem next to your vase to gauge how much you'll need to trim. Using a sharp knife, cut stems at a 45 degree angle so they won't sit flat in the vase. Cut away any white stem tissue for better water absorption. Recondition your tulips daily: Recut the stems, change the water, and add nourishment. Use the extra pack of cut-flower food with your first change of water. Keep in a cool area; heat reduces bloom time. To nourish flowers after the food is used up, refill your vase with a solution of one teaspoon sugar and two drops liquid bleach per gallon of fresh water. If tulips droop once arranged, try this: Insert a pin through the stem just below the head; then pull it out. The holes let air escape to expedite the water flow. Keep in a cool place for longest life.
 

 

 CARING FOR CARNATIONS

 

Your carnations may arrive with closed buds, but will open over the next few days after conditioning. Start with a very clean vase. Hold each carnation next to your vase to gauge how much stem you'll need to trim; you might also want to remove some of the leaves. Using a sharp knife or pruners, cut stems at a 45-degree angle so that they don't sit flat on the bottom of the vase, for better water absorption. When conditioning carnations, be sure to make you cut above one of the nodes that run up the flower's stalk; this will allow the stem to more easily draw the water it needs. Add the included cut-flower food to the vase; use the extra pack with your first change of water, and add nourishment. Carnations should be reconditioned every two or three days: Recut the stems, change the water, and add nourishment. To nourish the flowers after the flower food is used up, refill your vase with a solution of one teaspoon of sugar and two drops liquid bleach per gallon of fresh, cold water. Keep flowers in a cool area and away from food; carnations tend to absorb surrounding odors.