I have to be honest; I used to be my flowers’ worst nightmare.
Whether I was gifted them or bought them myself, the result was the same. After a few days of proudly displaying them in my kitchen, they would suddenly wilt and the rest as they say, was history.
At the start of the year I decided enough was enough. Avas Flowers had started delivering to my area, and I needed to make the most of the supply. Avas Flowers are one of the most renowned florists in the country, and this Avas Flowers page perhaps highlights why. However, to fully make the most of them, I needed to learn how to treat my flowers properly.
I therefore spoke to friends, family, websites and any other source that could show me how to prevent my flowers from dying prematurely. The results are fortunately spectacular; my flowers now tend to last for weeks at a time, and I’m not frantically replacing them in record speeds.
Through today, I’m going to talk you through some of things I did to transform my flower fortunes.
Firstly, all of my flowers are now stored in a cool, dry place.
I know that sounds obvious, but I used to keep my flowers in the kitchen, which is where they would inevitably die. I now keep them on a shelf in my bathroom, which is cooler and also has a window, so it gets sunlight during the day.
I also make sure that the water I use for my flowers is clean and fresh.
If you use tap water, then you need to make sure that you leave enough time for the chlorine in the water to dissipate before you put your flowers in it. If you don’t have time to wait, then add some white vinegar to the water. This will remove any chlorine and other chemicals that could be harmful to your flowers. There’s a bit of a guide on how this works over here (although perhaps rather amusingly, this talks about its effect on hair).
Although it’s not essential, I have found using a ‘flower food’ helps keep my flowers looking good for longer.
This is something I’ve only started doing recently, but I think it’s helped keep my flowers looking healthy and vibrant.
There are numerous brands of flower food available at garden centres and hardware stores; just make sure you get one suitable for the type of flower you’re using (e.g., roses).
The last tip I have is about watering your flowers. It’s tempting when we see our plants start wilting to give them more water; however this can cause them to rot or become infected with fungus. When watering your plants always check how much water they already have in their vase by gently tapping their container, or of course simply looking through the vase if it is transparent.
