You may have heard the old wives tale about adding sugar to a vase of cut flowers, so here is how sugar affects cut flowers; basically the sugar is a nutrient and can replace those nutrients lost to the flowers when their leaves have been removed so the old wives tale was correct, add sugar to your flower water to help them last longer.
Here are other tips to help you keep your new arrangement looking fresh and to ensure it lasts as long as possible:
- buy your flowers from a reputable outlet
- choose blooms with firm petals or with buds which are showing some colour
- keep them well wrapped until you get them home
- keep them in water until you are ready to start arranging
- make sure vases are very clean
- use fresh lukewarm water and add commercial cut flower food
- remove all leaves which fall below the water level
- take at least 3cm (1″) off all stems, making a slanted cut with sharp scissors
- don’t smash or pierce the stems
- avoid placing the arrangement in direct sunlight, heat, or draughts
- keep flowers away from ripening fruit
- don’t mix daffodils with other flowers
- remove faded flowers as they occur
- top up the water regularly and add fresh flower food