Flower Care

Whether you have received a beautiful bouquet from Cavendish Flowers or picked a bunch from your garden, it is very important to treat your flowers correctly to ensure they have the maximum life possible. Following these simple steps will mean your flowers will last and look beautiful for longer:

1. Always use a clean vase. Bacteria builds up in vases so its very important to clean your vase.

2. Fill your vase three quarters full with lukewarm water and add a sachet of flower food. Using lukewarm water helps to prevent air bubbles in the stems which prevent the flowers from drinking. It also encourages buds to open. The exception to this rule are spring bulb flowers as these prefer cold water. Flower food encourages flowers to drink and their buds to open and kills off deadly bacteria.

3. Strip away any foliage that will be below the water line. This is to prevent the leaves from rotting and causing bacteria to grow in the water.

4. Cut off at least 3cms of each stem at an angle using a knife or sharp scissors. This is because the stems seal over when flowers have been out of water preventing them from drinking water efficiently. It is best to cut at an angle as this will prevent the flowers from resting on the bottom of the vase and sealing themselves.

5. Display your flowers in the vase.

6. Avoid placing flowers in direct sunlight or heat and avoid draughts as this will reduce their life.

7. Do not place near fruit and remove flowers as they die off. Both produce ethylene gas which ages flowers.

8. Change the water regularly, adding flower food each time.