Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on what to do after receiving a bunch of flowers, and how to best care for them so that they remain fresh for days to come!
Just received a bunch of fresh flowers and don’t know where to go from here? We’ve come up with a handy flower care guide to help you prep, maintain, and properly take care of your flower bouquet. Included are detailed step-by-step instructions for you to follow along, and extra flower care tips to ensure you’re enjoying your flowers as much as possible! Ready to get started?
Fresh Flower Care Overview
Before we get started, here’s a quick flower care info sheet to share with your friends and family! Feel free to share this easy-to-follow summary here:
Step #1: Unwrap your flowers
The first and most important step is to unwrap your bunch of flowers! We know how much you love the beautiful wrapping it came in, however fresh flowers need water just like us to survive and thrive. During delivery, the flowers may get a little thirsty due to exposure to outdoor heat and sunlight, thus it is especially important to keep them hydrated once they reach you!
When the flowers are placed in clean water, their freshness is prolonged, and you get to enjoy the flowers for longer. That sounds like a win-win to us, so start unwrapping your bunches!
Step #2: Remove the water bag
Remember to remove the water bag wrapping the flower stems as well! The water bag most typically comes as wet cotton wrapped in a plastic bag, and is used to keep the flowers as hydrated as possible during delivery. Remove the water bag to expose the bare flower stems so that the flowers can drink up more easily.
Step #3: Trim flower stems at a slant
Find a pair of sharp scissors (or floral shears if you have a pair!) and trim the stems at a 45 degree angle. Sharp scissors/shears ensures that you do not smash or damage the stems, as this may disrupt their hydration process.
Why should I cut my flower stems at a slant?
An angled cut increases the surface area of the stems, allowing them to absorb more water at a time—keeping the flowers more hydrated. Additionally, it ensures that the stems do not sit entirely flush against the bottom of the vase, which can prevent the flowers from absorbing water that they need.
How much do I cut?
How much you cut depends on your vase of choice. Get your vase ready, and place it against your bunch of flowers. This comparison allows you to measure the height needed for your flowers, to ensure that they are not too tall or too short when placed in the vase.
An important thing to note when selecting your flower vase, is ensuring the vase opening isn’t too small as well, as you don’t want your flowers to be smashed and crowded.
Cut enough such that the bloom heads of the flowers are just above the opening of the vase.
If you’re not too sure, it’s always best to cut the stems a little bit at a time, and test the height of the bunch by placing it in the vase. Remember, you can always cut more, but you can never reverse a cut! If you end up trimming too much of the stems off, just look for a shorter vase.
I don’t have a flower vase that I can use, what should I do?
Don’t fret! We understand that not everyone has a spare vase sitting around—and that’s no problem. Vessels can come in all shapes and sizes, and here’s our list of home vase alternatives to get you going!
Step #4: Prepare a vase of clean water
Next, ensure your vase is squeaky clean, and fill your vase with clean, room-temperature water!
How much water do I fill my vase with?
A good gauge is filling your flower vase around ½ to ¾ full. The most important thing is ensuring you fill up the vase enough such that all the stem openings are submerged in water.
What about flower food?
There are multiple ways out there on how to make your own flower food, however none of which we’ve tried and can vouch for! So we would suggest you try them at your own risk.
Did you receive any of these flower bunch types below from Happy Bunch?
Signature Bunches come in a brown burlap wrap, and Standard Bunches and DIY Flowers come in a kraft paper wrap.
If you did, open up the tag sleeve to find flower food packets! Follow the instructions on the back of the flower food packet, and mix it well with your vase of water.
Step #5: Place your flowers in the flower vase
Before you place your flowers in the vase, make sure to remove any leaves that may come in contact with the water! Leaves in water can breed bacteria and shorten the vase life of your flowers. Once you’ve done so, place your beautiful blooms in the vase of water!
Step #6: And you’re done!
And voila, you’re all done! All that’s left is to enjoy your beautiful vase of blooms. We hope this guide was useful for you, and that you learnt a thing or two about flower care.
Bonus: Other commonly asked questions about fresh cut flower care
When should I change the water in my flower vase?
Ideally, we would recommend you change the water daily and trim the stems whenever you do so. Otherwise, change it once you see the water turn slightly murky. Be sure to give your vase a good rinse and scrub each time you replace the water to minimise bacterial growth.
Where should I place my vase of flowers?
It’ll be best to place your flowers in a cooling environment, away from opened food, fruits, and direct sunlight/heat to avoid flower wilting. Common areas are the coffee table, work desk, dining table, or by the bed.
Can I put my flowers by the window?
This depends on whether it is a sunny day out, or a cooling night time! Flowers should be kept away from heat and direct sunlight to prolong their vase life, hence it’s best to place them in a cooling environment away from the window.
Should I put my flowers in the fridge?
You should not put your flowers in the refrigerator! Flowers can benefit from being in a cooling environment, however placing them in the fridge is a big no no. This is because the fruit and vegetables in your fridge could emit ethylene gas, which is harmful to flowers as it causes them to wilt faster.
Will my flowers bloom with time?
It is different for every flower and every stem. You most likely received a mixed bouquet arrangement filled with different flowers, and this means some flowers may bloom over the next few days, and some may have already bloomed when they were farmed.
Because different flowers have different vase lives, the best approach is to remove the blooms that begin to wilt before the others! This will help to prevent excessive bacteria build-up, and extend the vase life of the other flowers in the arrangement.
Flowers that may bloom with time:
Rose, Lily, Alstroemeria, Carnations, Delphinium, Artichoke, Banksia.
Flowers that are typically delivered fully-bloomed:
Orchid, Gerbera, Sunflower, Protea, Pin Cushion, Ginger, Hydrangea, Brassica, Peony, Calla Lily, Bird of Paradise, Tulip, Anthurium, Chrysanthemum.
Looking for more flower guides and tutorials?
View our collection of flower arrangement tutorials, or flower DIY guides here. From caring for preserved and dried flowers, to making your own potpourri with leftover flowers, we have all you need to get your hands deep in some floral fun.