The petals of some flowers begin to fall off after only a few days, but these long-lasting cut flowers outlast the rest.
We’ve all been there. You painstakingly pick through the grocery-store bouquets to find the freshest-looking bunch, or you snip a few flowers from your garden to put in a vase—yet a few days later, they’re all drooping tragically and losing petals like a four-year-old flower girl. While it’s possible to extend the life of cut flowers by, for example, changing the water daily, it’s also a sad fact that certain varieties of flowers won’t last much longer. Sophy Crown Flowers Dublin recommends these long-lasting flowers if you’re fed up with wilting bouquets.
What’s the Point of Buying Long-Lasting Cut Flowers?
A lovely bouquet of fresh-cut flowers gives instant satisfaction to the beholder. They allow us to transmit our most authentic feelings and thoughts by eliciting our innermost emotions.
“Thank you,” “I’m sorry,” “I’m sorry,” and “I love you” can all be expressed by presenting a bouquet of flowers to the person you want to express them to.
Cut flowers are a wonderful way to commemorate significant anniversaries and commemorate memorable moments in our life. Simply said, they make us feel amazing!
Receiving lovely and fragrant flowers is a happy occasion, especially if there is a purpose behind the gesture. Sometimes they symbolise so much more than is obvious at first look.
Unfortunately, once taken from the plant, the vibrancy and perfume of your flowers begin a steady decline, fading, and soon will be only a nice memory. Cut flower species have varying shelf lives, with some lasting up to a week longer than others. The purchasing price does not equal the bloom period. No matter how beautiful and fragrant, an expensive rose bouquet is not going to endure as long as an inexpensive bouquet of cut flowers.
Protect your investment in cut flowers by choosing kinds that stay the longest. Six of the most popular types of fresh-cut flowers are discussed in this article. Tips and tips are offered to help keep your beautiful bouquet happy and blooming longer.
Chrysanthemums
The vase life of a chrysanthemum is 25 to 30 days.
The chrysanthemum has the longest vase life of any of the magnificent species included here in our assortment of popular cut flowers!
Chrysanthemums deliver the finest value for every dollar spent to clients!
They require clean water each day and benefit from a trim of their stems each day as well.
Getting the longest stems is your best bet; after 25 or 30 days of trimming, you won’t have much left over for your arrangement.
This beautiful fall flower, also known as a mum, is a terrific choice for bouquets since the blossoms can endure up to two weeks. In fact, mums are likely to endure longer than the rest of your bouquet if any remain. Chrysanthemums come in a range of colours and petal forms, including button mums (which are popular in fall gardens), anemone, quilled, spider, spoon, and pompon.
Orchids
Orchids have a 14- to 21-day vase life.
Tip: Change the water in your orchids on a daily basis, if not more frequently.
Remove all of the orchid’s fading blossoms to return energy back to the stalk.
Individual orchid flowers can be exhibited off by floating them in fresh water in a nice bowl.
As a houseplant, orchid blossoms can linger for weeks or even months. They won’t last exactly as long as cut flowers, but most types will last for at least two weeks. If you want orchids with genuine lasting power, try for cymbidium or anthurium kinds. Flowers from these two species can last up to four weeks or longer.
Carnations
The vase life of a carnation is 14 to 21 days.
Remove all of the foliage and flower petals from the surface of the water and lower.
Carnation flowers can be put on show by floating them in fresh water in a nice bowl.
Carnations can be “coloured” by adding food colouring to the vase water. They slowly drink up the dyes, and gradually, you’ll watch them change to the colour you have chosen—a delightful metamorphosis to witness them develop their new colouring.
A carnation is usually always the last flower in any bouquet you’ve purchased at the supermarket, and it’s also the most common. Carnations can stay fresh in a vase for up to three weeks if you keep them out of direct sunshine and heat and change the water every few days. They’re also one of the most adaptable flowers out there, easily coloured any shade of the rainbow.
Zinnias
Zinnias, which come in a variety of colours including purple, scarlet, orange, white, pink, and yellow, are the best flowers to cultivate in your yard for cutting. They’re a popular amongst pollinators, including butterflies, and when you decide to pluck a few stems to bring inside, they’ll survive up to 12 days in a vase.
Alstroemerias
Also known as Peruvian lily, alstroemeria is another favourite selection for bouquets. This lily look-alike grows multiple blossoms per stem, helping create a rich flower arrangement. Each individual flower normally lasts approximately a week, but since every stalk has numerous blossoms, a cluster of alstroemerias can last for up to two weeks in a vase as all of the buds open up.
Lilies
The vase life of a lily is 14 days.
Removing the pollen pods can extend the life of the carpet and will also help keep it stain-free.
The “powder” will stain your fingers when removed, so use gloves or paper towels and just pluck them off as the flowers begin to open.
Re-flowering is aided by pinching the faded petals.
Not all lilies are particularly fragrant.
The lily in the photograph is the “Stargazer” and has an exquisite perfume.
Flowers like “Stargazer,” a particularly fragrant lily, can create a “aroma dome” around the plant, encasing it in a fragrant halo.
Similar to alstroemerias, one lily stalk (particularly Oriental lilies) can have numerous flowers that open at different times. If you’re buying an arrangement featuring lilies, aim for flowers that haven’t fully opened yet. Once you put them in a vase, they’ll progressively open up within a few days, lasting for up to two weeks.
Alliums
You may not see alliums as often as some other cut flowers, but they’re a terrific choice for a bouquet. They have long, sturdy stems that won’t flop over in a vase, and since they grow so tall (some types stretch up to 4 feet), they’re easy to cut to any height you choose. Most will live up to two weeks in a vase as long as you constantly replace the water. Also known as ornamental onions, these flowers’ chopped stems might smell a little like scallions, so if you leave them in the same water for too long, you can start to detect the odour.
Gladiolas
A gladiola’s vase life is 14 days.
Whenever a flower starts to lose its colour, thin it out and pick it all up and throw it away. As a result, the stem receives a boost of energy, which it can use to power the remaining blossoms.
Taking away a gladiola has little effect because they blossom from the ground up in their natural habitat.
Pinch off the wasted blooms to give the stalk a less-than-perfect look, and then place the individual blossoms in a pretty basin of water.
Roses
If kept in cool water, roses have a vase life of 7 to 10 days.
Opt for sturdy-headed roses. Check the hardness of the bud by gently squeezing it. You want tight buds, so if there is any “give,” pass on that one.
Roses especially appreciate being cut underwater. A small air bubble could form in the stem if this isn’t taken care of properly. They “take a breath” when cut, thus if buried below, that first “breath” that is “inhaled” will be a healthy drink. Then place it in a water-filled vase.
The petals from the roses can be saved and used to make your own fragrant potpourri.
How to Care for Your Cut Flowers Once You Get Home
When you get your beautiful cut flowers home, place them in fresh water. If they’re wearing anything, take it off. The original florist cut is now old, and the flower may not be soaking up the water it needs to live.
Cut about an inch off the bottom of the stem. Make your cut at an angle of around 45 degrees with a sharp, un-serrated knife. By slicing the stem at an angle, water is more easily absorbed by the flower. Be cautious to remove any foliage that will be in or submerged in the water. The water will get contaminated if foliage leaves and buds are soaked.
Choose a clean vase, preferably one made of glass, sturdy plastic, or ceramic.
Fill up the vase with cool, clean water and place it on your table. Cool water and room temperatures will help to prolong the life of your cut flowers.
How to Make a Flower Preservative Recipe
Mix into the water of your flower vase some form of flower preservative. Cut flower purchases are frequently accompanied by a sachet containing a powdered preservative provided by the florist. You may choose to produce your own DIY flower preservative. Here is the recipe:
- 1 tbsp. white sugar
- 1 teaspoon common bleach
- Lime or lemon juice, 2 teaspoons
- water, lukewarm (about 1 gallon)
Methods for Cutting Flowers to Extend Their Life in a Vase
Make floral arrangements.
Now you are ready to build an arrangement from your wonderful fresh-cut flowers! Don’t overcrowd the vase by adding too many flowers to the bouquet. You don’t want it to look bunchy and unattractive. Make a second bouquet if you are limited by the volume that the first vase carries.
Choose a decent place. Locating your gorgeous arrangement of cut flowers in the appropriate area can assist to increase the vase life of your flowers. Keep out of direct sunlight! Indirect and strong light are optimal. Protect them from exposure to severe temperatures, particularly heat and draughts.
Your fresh-cut flower arrangement will last longer if you take care of it on a daily basis. Cut flowers have a much longer shelf life when the water is changed, the stems are re-cut, and the flower preservative is replenished. Don’t just “top it off”… replenish with new water. Remove fading blossoms and leaves as they occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it necessary to seal the cut end of the daffodil stem with a lit match when it is being cut? Or is this an old wives’ tale?
Answer: Wow, that’s a new one on me! After taking the daffodil from the plant, soak the stem in water and make a diagonal incision. When you cut a tubular type stem, it takes in a “breath” and therefore that 1st breath should be a glass of water. This prevents the formation of air bubbles.