Fresh-Cut Bouquets and Arrangements

1. Re-Cut: Making a fresh cut to the stem ends under clean, warm water with a sharp knife can revive foliage and flowers that have wilted in the sun, or have been out of water for along time.

   Cut the stems at 45 degrees to expose the largest area of plant tissue, which will allow the arrangement to drink the new moisture source (the water or soaked florist's foam in your arrangement.) Remove a ½” portion of the stem, plus any leaves that will below the water line. After a few days change the water and re-cut the stem before replacing in the vase.

• Roses: always re-cut under water to prevent air bubbles from forming within the stem. Make a diagonal cut with a very sharp knife, holding the flower head towards you and drawing the knife, blade parallel with the ground, away from you down the flower stem.
• Tender Stems: Need handing with special care, Pick off leaves of this Kind one by one.
• Woody Stems: Must be scraped at the ends to remove the outer tissue to prolong vase life.
• Thick Stems: Such as Sunflowers need splitting at the ends so that they can absorb water.

  Crushing/Splitting Flower Stems: Unfortunately in the past, many people have been led to believe that the crushing or splitting of flower stems is a good way of extending their vase life. Recent tests have shown that this method generally does not work. It actually does tremendous damage to the tiny tube-like Vessels in the stems, blocking the flow of water up to the flower heads, and leads to a faster discoloration of the vase water.

2. Vase: Clean the vase with bleach and water solution to kill any bacteria and algae that has formed in the vase. Rinse and dry well. If the vase is simply left to dry and the used, the bacteria live on and multiply, reducing the life of your flowers. Immediately place your cut flowers in a deep vase or container filled with clean, cool water. Be sure that you’ve removed all foliage that lies below the water line.

Metal containers: Metal containers can cause reactions with many flower preservatives. This can lead to the preservative being far less effective in solution.

3. Preserve: Many cut flowers are delivered with a small bag of floral preservative. We highly recommend that you read the instructions and add accordingly in order to prolong the life of your flowers.

   Mix the floral preservative with room temperature water, in the proportion recommended on the package. Floral preservative provide sugars, balances pH, and limits bacterial growth, which will make your flowers will live longer. Avoid metal containers, which can cause reactions with many floral preservatives. You can get a pack of preservative from almost any florist or make a similar solution using the following recipe:

   • One table spoon of sugar and a teaspoon of bleach per gallon is widely used preservative or
   • Tonic water or lemon - line soda (Not diet) at the rate of 2 parts water to one part soda or tonic works well as a preservative.

     Dead Flowers: When flowers are arranged in a vase, some of the flower heads will naturally die before others. It is a good idea to remove these heads quickly, because if left on the stems, they not only look unsightly, but also will often give off small amounts of ethylene gas, which will diminish the life of any remaining flowers.

4. Water: Most arrangements use floral foam to secure the fresh cut flowers stay in place. In order to maximize the life of the fresh flowers and greens, add water daily. If you're not using preservatives, it is best to scrub the container and re-cut flower stems on a daily basis.

   Misting: The common practice of misting plants probably does more psychological good for the mister than for the plants. Misting raises the relative humidity around plants, but only for a few seconds. It can help clean the plants only if excess water drips off. One major disadvantage of misting is the possibility of Botrytis growth due to the free water left on the foliage and flowers.

Dirty Water: If water looks cloudy or has unpleasant smell, it needs to be changed completely. Dirty water provides a perfect breeding ground for microscopic bacteria to breed rapidly. These bacteria attach themselves to the stem ends and block the flow of water up to the flower heads. You should always change the vase water regularly and use a good cut flower food which will decrease the rate at which these bacteria breed.

5. Display: Plants and flowers should never be placed on any hot or cold surface, nor should they be placed directly in front of a forced-air heating or air conditioning system.

   Hot Weather: Flowers which are subjected to direct sunlight can easily become overheated, resulting in an increased rate of respiration and the drying out of petals etc, leading to reduced vase life. Respiration is basically what causes aging in most living organisms. Flowers have high rates of respiration, making them one of the most perishable of all agricultural crops. The cooler the room or location they are displayed, the longer they will last.

   Draughty Rooms: Draughty rooms are also unfavorable spots to locate your flowers. The petals tend to dry out and respire more quickly in these areas. Avoid hallways and tables near open doorways.

   Air conditioning: It has been noted that usually with air conditioning (especially in large offices or stores), fresh flowers tend to dry out very quickly. This is particularly the case with flowers that have large, exposed petals.

   Cold conditions below 4 degrees C (39 degrees F): Internal flower cells can easily become damaged if subjected to very low temperatures. Flowers grown in tropical areas, such as Orchids and Anthuriums, are particularly susceptible to low temperature damage. Never put your flowers in a freezer or anywhere that is below 4 degrees C (39 degrees F).

Corsages and Boutonnieres

• Carry corsages and other body flowers in the florist's box to your destination. Pin or put them on once you're inside.
• Guard flower from sudden exposure to cold or hot air.
• Always wear flower blossoms up, stems down.

Things From Middle Earth Florist offers garden-fresh arrangements for every occasion.

With local service in Fountain Valley, California and Orange County; and world-wide delivery service, we pride ourselves in providing unique floral arrangements for individuals, corporations, parties and weddings.

Browse our website and send someone special flowers today!