Valentine’s Day, like many other special moments in the year, only lasts for a day. Of course, we all want the memory of this romantic occasion to linger on for as long as possible. We nibble slowly on that box of chocolates and make sure that we pace ourselves and we wish that our Valentine’s Day flowers would last forever. Well, while you can’t make your fresh flowers last a lifetime, there are some steps that you can take in order to make them last longer than just a couple of days. Continue reading to find out what you will need and how to treat your cut flowers so that they give you longer lasting joy.
What you will need:
- Your beautiful bouquet of Valentine’s Day flowers
- Fresh, clean water
- Flower preserve (also referred to as flower food)
- Sharp pair of scissors or knife
- Bucket
- Vase of your choice
Instructions:
- As soon as your flower delivery arrives, you will need to place them in some fresh, clean water immediately. Pour some room temperature water into a bucket and place your Valentine’s Day flowers in the water. Remember that you do not have to overfill the bucket. You simply need to make sure that the ends of all the stems are submerged.
- If your flowers are tightly wrapped together, then you may want to separate them. By taking the bouquet apart, you will be making your life a whole lot easier and you can give each stem individual attention and care. It also makes it easier to remove any wilting or dying plant material.
- Now, start by trimming each and every stem. Trim them at an angle so that you create a larger surface area for absorption. It also prevents the stem from resting flat on the bottom of the vase and thereby restricting its water and nutrients uptake.
- Before you start cutting, another good tip to remember is to trim the stems under water. This actually helps reduce the amount of air that enters the stem. If you trim the stems outside of water, air enters the stem and thereafter water will enter. The air bubbles that form inside the stem obstruct the flow of water and also slow down the rate at which the stem is able to absorb water and nutrients.
- When trimming the stems, it is very important that you use an extra sharp instrument. You do not want to crush the stems while cutting them.
- After trimming the steps, you can then continue by removing any additional leaves. Bacteria makes its home on leaf and stem surfaces. The less surface area available, the less the bacteria in the water can grow. Remove all leaves that may end up below the water line and, despite your enthusiasm, refrain from filling the vase to the brim. The cut stems only absorb water from the cut section and you will only be doing them harm by dunking them in an overflowing vase.
- In order to prepare the vase, you must make sure that it is completely clean before adding water.
- Use room temperature water and dissolve the flower preservative in the water completely.
- Add your flowers and put that very special Valentine’s Day flower delivery on display for all to see!
- Remember to change the vase water regularly and, when you do, you can trim the stems slightly as well. Add more flower preservative to the fresh water to help your flowers last longer.
- As soon as you see a flower start to wilt, brown or die, you need to remove it immediately. Dead flowers add to the bacteria levels and can negatively affect the surrounding, perfectly healthy flowers.