About Flowers

How to lengthen the life of your floral arrangement

Most floral arrangements last 4-7 days or longer, depending on the type of flowers and the care they receive. Here are some easy ways you can ensure longer-lasting, more vibrant flowers.

• Keep the vase filled (or floral foam soaked) with water. The original water in the vase will have flower food provided by the florist which will help somewhat to make your flowers last longer. However, your arrangement should be watered daily. In doing so, take your arrangement out of the vase, clean inside of vase thoroughly, and re-cut the stems before adding new water.

• Keep flowers in a cool spot (65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit is preferable), away from sunlight, heating vents, the tops of TVs, radiators or anything else in your home that generates heat. (Electronic equipment such as televisions, toaster ovens and computers give off heat, which causes flowers to dehydrate.) In general, most flowers will last longer under cool conditions.

• Keep your flowers in a cool place. Avoid areas in your office or home where you have electrical equipment (computer, photocopy machine, toaster, television set, etc.) that generate heat.

• Fill a clean (washed with a detergent or antibacterial cleaning solution), deep vase with water. Add flower food if you have it.

• Remove leaves that will be below the waterline. Leaves in water will promote bacterial microbial growth that may limit water uptake by the flowers.

• Re-cut stems by removing one or two inches with a sharp knife. Place the flowers in the watered vase.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take a lot of tender loving care to keep plants vibrant and beautiful. Generally, they need good lighting, moderate temperature, reasonable humidity, a uniform level of moisture in the soil, and once in a great while, a little bit of fertilizer.

And not only are green and flowering plants low maintenance, they are a great enhancement to any home or office. They’re even beneficial to your health. According to a study by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), common houseplants were found to be powerful, natural air cleaners – all the more reason why you want to keep your plants healthy with the proper care.

Most plants come with care instructions specifically for the type of plant you have purchased or were given. However, here are some general tips to help keep almost any houseplant a beautiful enhancement to your home or office:

• Select medium-light locations for plants. Avoid direct sunlight. Most plants like natural light, but some plants can thrive in office fluorescent light. Potted flowering plants should be placed in areas with the most light in order to maintain good flower color and promote the maximum number of flowers to open. Foliage plants will do well under lower light levels and can be placed in areas providing reduced light.

• Keep plant soil moderately moist at all times. Don’t allow plants to dry out or wilt. But avoid over-watering your plants, and do not allow your plants to stand in water. Drain excess water in saucer at base of pot to prevent root rot and protect furniture. It is also a good idea not to wet plant leaves.

• Seek out warm places for tropical green plants. Ideal conditions would be 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime, 65 to 70 degrees at night.

• Keep from excessive heat or cold. Avoid putting plants in direct sunlight, near heating or cooling vents, under ceiling fans, or on top of TVs and other heat-generating appliances or electric equipment and radiators. Such locations could cause plants to dehydrate.