join

Apr 13

Pro Tips: How to Make Your Flowers Last

professional tricks for making your flowers last longer

It’s no secret that I have a bit of an obsession with fresh flowers. It’s the one thing that I consistently have on hand each week, even if it’s just a single bloom amongst a bit of foliage to dress my dining room table. Not only does it make me smile every time I walk by, but I find that a pretty arrangement front and centre reminds me how much I take pride in my home, and encourages me to keep the rest of it neat and tidy as well. Over the years, I’ve managed to pick up tips and tricks here and there to make my flowers last, but I thought it would make sense to reach out to my circle of friends and get some professional advice. I asked Becky, owner of the uber popular Toronto flower shop Blush & Bloom, to share some of her very best tips and tricks for making your flowers last their longest, and I’m thrilled to share all of her advice below!

Buckets of fresh flowers

How to Make Your Flowers Last
{tips & tricks from Blush & Bloom}

Make sure you start with a clean vase filled with room temperature water.

After your vase is filled with water, create a grid using clear florist’s tape. This will give your flowers structure to hold everything in place, and help ensure that the flowers and foliages don’t “pop out” of the vase or the water.

beautiful flower arrangement
Before you start placing your flowers and greenery in the vase, make sure to remove any loose foliage that might sit below the water line. Any leaves or greenery that sits in the water will cause bacteria and your flowers won’t last nearly as long.

Be sure to cut all of your stems on a sharp angle (so it has lots of surface to absorb water) using a sharp paring knife, or garden shears.

flower arranging

Your flowers MUST be placed into water within 10 seconds of cutting in order to make them last their longest

To arrange your flowers, start by adding foliage and greenery first to create the shape. Then, slowly begin introducing flowers. I tend to start with my fullest bloom, placing her someplace front and center, and build my way outward.

pink roses

Every few days you should refresh your arrangement by moving it into a sink and flush water out by turning your faucet on heavy blast to surge out the existing water. This will help keep things fresher for longer, and decrease the likelihood of bacteria forming in stagnant water, without having to fuss with your beautiful arrangement.

fresh flower backdrop

I’d love to know, do you have any tips or tricks of your own? I’m always looking to add more to my arsenal.

[break]Professional Tips & Flower Arrangements: Becky from Blush & Bloom | Photography: Heidi Lau for Lark & Linen

filed in  / 

  1. […] Pro Tips: How to Make Your Flowers Last […]

  2. Baxter Abel says:

    I had no idea that flower arrangements should be placed within 10 seconds of cutting the flower. I also have never heard that it’s important to flush out the water in a flower arrangement regularly. I’ve heard that there are also specific fertilizers and chemical agents that you can put in flower arrangements as well that can help, I’ll have to do more research though!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *