Bouquet of flowers, how long does it last?

A bouquet of flowers, let's face it, we love it, but we find that it never lasts long enough! How can you keep them longer?

Here are my florist tips!

First of all, for a bouquet of flowers to last a long time, there are some basic tips to follow, whether it is bought at the florist or elsewhere:

• It is important to properly prepare the stems of the plants by removing flowers and leaves that may be submerged to prevent bacteria from forming in the water. This can be done with your fingers, a knife or scissors. Just be careful not to damage the stems with the blade!

• The flower stems should then be beveled with pruning shears or a sharp knife. Scissors are not recommended for this step because they crush the stem and prevent the flower from drinking properly. In the case of woody stems such as hydrangeas or forsythias, we suggest splitting the stem in two with a pair of secateurs.

• The flowers are quickly placed in warm water, except for bulbous flowers which prefer cold water. We avoid placing our bouquet of flowers in a draft or at excessive temperatures.

• For the next few days, we remove the wilting flowers from our bouquet of flowers as we go along. This will extend the life of the other flowers on the same stem.

• We change the water in our bouquet of flowers every 2 days and we take the opportunity to refresh the cut of our stems!

Not all flowers last the same number of days; there are very ephemeral varieties, such as anemones and irises that last only 2-3 days, and there are very resistant varieties, such as chrysanthemums and alstromeria that can last up to 3 weeks! On average, a bouquet stays beautiful for 5-7 days

IMPORTANT: Remove the stamens from your lilies as soon as the flower has bloomed to avoid staining clothes and furniture! TRUE OR FALSE :

• Aspirin, seven up or sugar helps our bouquet of flowers last longer!
  • FALSE. Even worse, sugar promotes the development of the flower and therefore makes it age faster!

• Putting a black penny in the water helps to make the tulips head up.
  • This is a myth! We've tried it before and it only works one time out of two. And anyway, the pennies will disappear in a few years. Here's a trick we tried instead: cut the stem of the tulip at an angle and put it in very cold water. It will straighten out by itself within 24 hours. Also, you can make a small incision in the stem of the tulip, under its head, with the tip of a knife!

• I can put my flowers in the fridge if I want to extend their life!
  • TRUE. However, you will not see them often! You can put the flowers in the fridge until you give them away, but it is imperative to make sure the flowers don't freeze; if they do, they die! Also, it's best if the flowers are upright.

CONFESSIONS OF A FLORIST :

• I put a few drops of bleach in the water for my flower bouquet so I don't have to change it every couple of days. I know, it's lazy, but it works!!! In fact, bleach prevents bacteria from growing, as does changing the water every other day!
• When I buy a bouquet of flowers, I opt for one variety and hardly put any foliage. I find that this way the flowers last longer!

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