You've just received a beautiful bouquet of super-fresh flowers: it's time to put them in a vase. As all our flowers come directly from the auction, they're incredibly fresh. We guarantee that every bouquet will remain beautiful for at least seven days.
Of course, you want to enjoy your flowers for as long as possible. By paying extra attention to their care, you can keep them looking beautiful for up to two weeks. Here are nine tips for perfectly caring for your bouquet.
Before you can put your bouquet in a vase, you'll need to find one. Don't just choose any old vase; choose one made of ceramic or glass whose shape and size perfectly match the flowers.
If your flowers were sent by Amsterdam Flowers, they will be in a large bouquet that needs plenty of space. An hourglass-shaped vase, such as a teardrop or chalice vase, is usually ideal as it provides support and space.
Regarding the diameter, the vase should not pinch the stems, but should provide sufficient support. We recommend choosing a vase that is 30–50% of the height of the bouquet.
The biggest enemies of cut flowers are mould and bacteria. This is why it is crucial to keep the vase free of these organisms. Thoroughly cleaning the vase before placing the bouquet in it — or even better, immediately after removing the old one — is essential if you want to enjoy your flowers for a long time. For this reason, we also recommend smooth ceramic or glass vases as they are easier to clean than plastic or brittle stoneware vases. Here are a few cleaning tips:
Many people are aware of this, but it still often goes wrong: the flowers must be completely removed from their packaging. No matter how beautiful the packaging looks, it is really only for transporting and delivering the bouquet. Remove all the packaging material, including the elastic band. This way, you're left with pure, natural flowers only, and you reduce the risk of infection.
Leaves and leaf debris left in the water can also affect the quality of the water in your vase. These residues can contain pesticides, fertilisers or microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. If you leave these in the water after arranging your flowers, they will multiply and cause infections that will damage the flowers. Therefore, our advice is to ensure that nothing except the stems of the bouquet is submerged in the water.
Once you have removed the bouquet from its packaging, wait a moment before cutting the stems. First, fill your vase halfway with water. You don't need sparkling or demineralised water for this; regular tap water is fine. Contrary to what you often see online, the water does not need to be lukewarm. Tap water is the perfect temperature for practically all flower types at 10-15°C, and cut flower food dissolves easily in it.
If the bouquet has been in transit for a long time, the stems may have been dry for a while. Air may have entered the stems, clogging the vessels. In this case, ice-cold water can help. The cold water dissolves the air bubbles, improving water absorption and preserving the bouquet for longer.
Did you order your bouquet from Amsterdam Flowers? If so, you should have received a sachet of cut flower food with it. However, you can also use your own, as long as it is of good quality. Adding the food is simple: open the sachet and pour the contents into the water. The food will then dissolve naturally.
Now that your vase is ready and the flowers are loosely arranged on the table, it's time to cut the stems. Why is this necessary? It's simple: just as with people who have a wound, a scab forms where the grower cut the stem. This protects the flower from bacteria, mould and dehydration. This is very clever, but the downside is that the flower can no longer absorb water properly. By cutting a piece off the stem, you remove this scab and free up the vessels.
We recommend cutting about two centimetres off the stem. Use a sharp knife and cut diagonally at around a 45-degree angle. This creates a nice, smooth surface that prevents bacteria and mould from adhering, and is the easiest way to cut. After cutting a stem, place it immediately in water. If you don't do this straight away, the flower will form a scab again and won't be able to absorb water properly. You can also use this method to arrange the bouquet flower by flower in your own vase for the best results.
Is the vase full? Then it's time to find it a nice spot. To keep your flowers looking beautiful for as long as possible, there are a few things to consider. In short, the best place for cut flowers is somewhere cool, out of direct sunlight and draughts, and away from fruit. A middle table or sideboard is therefore ideal in most cases.
Avoid excessively high temperatures and temperature fluctuations, as these will cause your flowers to dry out quickly. The same applies to draughts from open windows, air conditioners and fans, as these cause water to evaporate rapidly from the petals and should therefore be avoided.
Be careful with fruit baskets, as the ethylene gas emitted by fruit affects the ageing process of plants, including your fresh-cut flowers. Bouquets placed near fruit will therefore age faster and shed their leaves and buds sooner.
If you follow all the above tips, your flowers will look perfect in the vase for at least one to two weeks. They just need a little extra water every now and then.
But if you want to get the most out of the vase, there's more you can do. Change the water and add fresh flower food every two to four days, depending on how dirty the water is. Remove any leaves or debris and clean the vase regularly. It can also be helpful to trim the stems periodically to ensure they continue to absorb water properly. This way, you'll care for your flowers optimally and enjoy your bouquet to the fullest!
