Care guide
Keeping flowers fresh for longer
from the shop
Cut the stems fresh, with a sharp knife
Before putting them in, shorten the stems by 2 to 3 cm with a sharp, clean knife. Cut hard stems such as roses at an angle, and soft ones like tulips and gerbera straight across. Do not use scissors on hard stems: they crush the channels that carry water.
Change the water every one or two days
Fresh water stops bacteria: change it completely, rinse the vase and trim the stems again while you are at it. Most bouquets like the vase half full; tulips and gerbera want only a few centimetres, otherwise the stems go soft.
A cool spot, out of direct sun
Not in the sun, not on the radiator, not in a draught. Cool air and indirect light keep flowers fresh the longest, and putting them somewhere cool overnight stretches it further still.
Strip the leaves below the water line
Pluck off every leaf that would sit in the water, otherwise it rots and turns the water. A tip: a dash of flower food, or a tablespoon of sugar with a squeeze of lemon per litre, feeds the blooms and keeps the water clean.
Away from the fruit bowl
Ripe fruit gives off ethylene, which makes flowers wilt faster. Keep at least a metre between the vase and the nearest fruit bowl.
A drooping rose? The cold-water trick
Take out the wilted blooms, or they pull the rest down with them. If a rose or hydrangea lets its head hang, cut it fresh and lay the whole stem in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes; it often straightens up again. A well-tended bouquet easily lasts seven to ten days.