How to care for fresh cut flowers?

After you receive your bouquet, you can help your fresh flowers last longer by following these simple cut flower care guidelines. Teleflora florists always use the freshest flowers available to fill your bouquet. Knowing how to make your flowers last longer will add to your enjoyment of them, and will help keep them vibrant and long lasting.

A floral life extender packet is typically included with your floral delivery, it is basically sugar that helps keep the bacteria count in the water low. An aspirin, (not ibuprofen), works just a well. Aspirin seems to lengthen the life of the flowers. Just be sure to snip a bit off the ends of the flowers each day.

The Benefits of Proper Flower Care

Click any flower name for more specific care instructions:

Keep the vase, container or liner filled with fresh water. Even if the container has floral foam, you should keep the water level high to promote long lasting flowers. The container's water has a fresh flower food added to it. If you completely change the water, you should also thoroughly clean the container. Add fresh water mixed with a commercial fresh flower food. These flower foods may be supplied by the florist who delivered your order and they contain the correct ingredients to properly nourish the flowers, keep bacteria at bay (which can block the stems and prevent them from absorbing water), encourage buds to open, and lengthen the life of the bouquet.

It's one of the best—and easiest—ways to extend the life of your flowers, but be sure to follow the directions on the package correctly. Improperly mixed flower food can actually do more harm than good.

Follow the general care guidelines described above for your roses, being sure to remove any discolored petals on the flower's outer edge (called guard petals) and foliage that fall below the waterline when refreshing your arrangement. Recutting the stems often will give your roses the longest vase life.

If your roses begin to wilt, you may be able to revive them. Trim off about an inch from the bottom of its stem and then submerge the entire rose under water in a sink or bathtub. Allow the stem to absorb water for about 20-60 minutes before returning them to their vase.

Roses last longer in a cool area, but if you want their blooms to open quickly, temporarily place them in a warmer spot (Note: not hotter than 80 degrees Fahrenheit).