If you like to have cut flowers in the house, there are quite some tricks to make them last longer. By investing just a bit of time, you are able to enjoy them for a far longer time than by just plonking them in a vase with water. And there are some flowers that can be kept for quite a long time even when cut.
You will find the principal tricks that apply to all cut flowers in our article How To Keep Your Flowers for Longer. It covers all the things you might do to assure you of keeping your cut flowers for as long as possible. But there are flowers you might get that need some special care to last. And there are tricks that revive flowers you would think are lost.
Roses
Roses are probably the flowers people like best to receive or to give as a gift item. They also have a name for not lasting very long. But with the correct care, they last just as long as any other cut flower. With roses it is important to keep the water fresh and to cut their stems on a daily basis as they are great water drinkers. But even when doing this correctly, you might find some that go drooping and letting their heads hang in a rather sad way.
That is no reason to throw them away. If they hang their heads on you, give them a bath. That might sound odd, but actually it is more or less what you do. After cutting them (again), you fill your bathtub with water until it is about as deep as your hand. Lay down the roses on the water; push the the stems into the water but don’t push their blooms down at the same time; let them rest there over night. This bath enables them to transport enough water back into the top of the stems and blooms; in the morning they will look all crisp again.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a special case whichever way you look at them. They drink water from the top. This means that to make them last you’ll have to spray their flowers with water until wet on a daily basis, in hot rooms even more often. They take up the water through the flowers much better than through the stems. If a hydrangea starts to look a bit sad despite your attention, fill a bucket with water and plunge the flower upside down well under water and let it rest there over night. In the morning it will look crisp again. Don’t forget to cut the dried end of the stem before putting it back into place.
Hydrangeas are ideal for decoration, but stay with the naturally colored ones, the oranges and yellows don’t last due to their artificial color treatment. A single hydrangea might replace a small bouquet all on its own when displayed in a narrow vase. And with some care it will last for weeks.
Eucalyptus
Flowering eucalyptus are beautiful, and I usually manage to keep them for 12 weeks and more. When you buy them, you dab the top of all leaves with olive oil. This keeps them from going dry on you. You only have to do it once, as they absorb the oil and remain supple after that.
Generally speaking for all wooden stemmed flowers, to which roses, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus all belong, you might want to incise their stems upwards as well to give more access to water. Never smash the ends though, as this gives germs a perfect breeding ground.
Other places to go to
How to Make Rainbow Roses
Blue Roses Made at Home
Hydrangea Arrangement
You will find the principal tricks that apply to all cut flowers in our article How To Keep Your Flowers for Longer. It covers all the things you might do to assure you of keeping your cut flowers for as long as possible. But there are flowers you might get that need some special care to last. And there are tricks that revive flowers you would think are lost.
Roses
Roses are probably the flowers people like best to receive or to give as a gift item. They also have a name for not lasting very long. But with the correct care, they last just as long as any other cut flower. With roses it is important to keep the water fresh and to cut their stems on a daily basis as they are great water drinkers. But even when doing this correctly, you might find some that go drooping and letting their heads hang in a rather sad way.
That is no reason to throw them away. If they hang their heads on you, give them a bath. That might sound odd, but actually it is more or less what you do. After cutting them (again), you fill your bathtub with water until it is about as deep as your hand. Lay down the roses on the water; push the the stems into the water but don’t push their blooms down at the same time; let them rest there over night. This bath enables them to transport enough water back into the top of the stems and blooms; in the morning they will look all crisp again.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a special case whichever way you look at them. They drink water from the top. This means that to make them last you’ll have to spray their flowers with water until wet on a daily basis, in hot rooms even more often. They take up the water through the flowers much better than through the stems. If a hydrangea starts to look a bit sad despite your attention, fill a bucket with water and plunge the flower upside down well under water and let it rest there over night. In the morning it will look crisp again. Don’t forget to cut the dried end of the stem before putting it back into place.
Hydrangeas are ideal for decoration, but stay with the naturally colored ones, the oranges and yellows don’t last due to their artificial color treatment. A single hydrangea might replace a small bouquet all on its own when displayed in a narrow vase. And with some care it will last for weeks.
Eucalyptus
Flowering eucalyptus are beautiful, and I usually manage to keep them for 12 weeks and more. When you buy them, you dab the top of all leaves with olive oil. This keeps them from going dry on you. You only have to do it once, as they absorb the oil and remain supple after that.
Generally speaking for all wooden stemmed flowers, to which roses, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus all belong, you might want to incise their stems upwards as well to give more access to water. Never smash the ends though, as this gives germs a perfect breeding ground.
Other places to go to
How to Make Rainbow Roses
Blue Roses Made at Home
Hydrangea Arrangement
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