How long my bouquets last and how to look after them

Hello, I’m Michelle from Love in Bloom in Rothwell.

This is my third blog post. The first was same-day delivery. The second was funeral flowers. This one is simpler: how to look after the bouquet once it is through the door.

I am often asked how long the flowers will last. A well-made hand-tied, given a clean vase and a bit of care, should look good for about a week, often closer to two. That is what customers tell me, and it is what I aim for. Supermarket bunches are built for a price. Mine are built to last a bit longer than that.

No two houses are the same. A hot windowsill or a vase that is never topped up will shorten the life. The notes below are what I would do if the bouquet were sitting in my own kitchen.

When the flowers arrive

Leave them in the wrapping for a few minutes while you find a vase. Fill the vase with cool, clean water.

Unwrap them, cut about 2cm off each stem on an angle, and put them straight in. If I have sent flower food, use it. If there is no sachet, clean water is still the main thing.

Take off any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Leaves in the water rot and make the whole vase smell before the heads have faded.

Each day

• Top the water up. Flowers drink more than people think.

• If the water looks cloudy, change it and recut the stems.

• Pull out any stem that has gone first so it does not spoil the others.

Where to stand them

Somewhere they will be seen, but not:

• on a radiator or sunny windowsill

• next to a bowl of ripening fruit (the gas from fruit ages flowers)

• in a draught from an open door all day

A cool room overnight helps more than people expect.

What is normal

Lilies may open over a few days. That is them doing what they should. Roses can droop if the stem has sealed — a fresh cut under water usually brings them back. Foliage often outlasts the blooms; you can strip tired heads and keep a greener arrangement going.

If something arrived already tired, call me. That is not “how flowers are.” I will put it right.

If you want them to last as long as possible

Do the recut on day one. Change the water midweek. Keep them cool. That is most of it.

And if you want another bunch when this one fades, you know where I am. Order online or call 07715 843585 / 01536 237647. Weekday same-day is still before 2pm — I wrote that up here:

Same-day flower delivery

Thank you for reading.

Michelle

Love in Bloom, Rothwell