Let’s face it, fresh-cut flowers can be a bit finicky, and it can be nerve wracking trying to keep the most delicate blooms looking their best for as long as possible. For a florist, fresh flowers means return customers, and for the flower-loving customer, it means days, maybe even weeks of enjoyment of one of our custom-made arrangements. So, how do we do it? Read on, dear reader, and I will share the secrets of keeping our flowers looking fresh from the farm.
Step One - Sanitize
Just as you would have a clean counter and clean knives when preparing food, we make sure we are working with clean surfaces, tools and vessels. To accomplish this, we use a special cleaning solution that is safe for flowers and effectively kills bacteria and viruses (including COVID-19), and creates a protective layer on the treated surfaces. We use this to clean all our flower buckets, counters, and tools.
Step Two - Hydrate
Did you know that most flowers, after they are harvested on the farm, are stored in a dry cold storage? This is ok and actually helps to prolong the life of the flowers by temporarily halting the development of the blooms. But that means rehydration is an absolutely critical step, and must be done carefully to ensure that the flowers hydrate fully. We begin by cutting the bottom of the stem at least 1 to 2 inches. Doing this will remove the callused end of the stem, and any bacteria lurking on or inside the bottom portion of the stem. Then, before placing the stems in clean water, we first dip the cut ends into a hydration solution. The hydration solution further cleans the stems and unclogs the vesicles so that the flower can drink efficiently. Most dry-stored blooms need at least an hour or longer to fully hydrate.
Step Three - Nourish
Flowers are still “alive” after they are cut, and feeding them is critical to prolonging their vase life. We use several different types of nourishing solutions in both our flower storage buckets, and in the finished flower arrangement you receive, to provide the necessary food and nutrients to help the flowers last as long as possible and reach their peak beauty. This solution also helps to fight off bacteria.
Step Four - Protect
Once your flower arrangement is made, the last thing we do (before adding the card!) is to mist the arrangement lightly with a finishing solution. This specially formulated product helps lock moisture into the petals and leaves by creating a protective barrier against evaporation.
Step Five - Customer Care
Final step - This is where you do your part! The most important thing you can do for your flowers to keep them looking beautiful for as long as possible is to provide clean water daily. You can add flower food, a pinch of sugar, or a splash of bleach to the water or just use plain water. After a few days, you may also want to give the stems a fresh cut, to help with continuing hydration. Keeping them out of direct sunlight, warm and/or drafty areas is also a good idea. If you suspect your flowers have died prematurely, you should contact us (or your florist) right away. It’s important that we know if any flowers failed too soon, so that we can relay this information on to our suppliers, as the problem can often originate in the supply line. We are always happy to replace flowers that did not survive the expected vase life.
And there you have it! Those are the five steps of fresh we follow to have the freshest flowers available for you. Of course, there are a few other steps, like removing any leaves that could become submerged in water, and the proper technique of cutting the stems, but we’ll save that for another post!
Enjoy your blooms!
