While I personally love receiving flowers, the speed of which fresh flowers start to wilt disheartens me. Receiving flowers is such an intimate feeling whether it be from a significant other, a friend or even a colleague. However, unlike most gifts, flowers have a life span of 1-2 days which ultimately can feel like a waste when the fleeting moment has passed. That being said, for the 1 or 2 days they stay alive and fresh, they bring such beauty to your home or wherever you have decided to vase them. Unfortunately, unlike in most countries, flower bouquets in Sri Lanka can be quite costly and the prettier they look, the costlier they probably are. This makes buying flowers every few days seem a really expensive and unreasonable lifestyle to adapt to.

So, here’s a little self-guide to make your fresh flowers last longer

1. Step 1 would be to use a sharp knife and individually re-cut the stems of the bouquet slightly. This needs to be repeated each time the flowers are taken out of the water. Making your cuts in a slight angle will help it stay fresh and hydrated for even longer.
2. The key is to pot them in a clean vase with clean warm water. If you want to take that extra step in nourishing your water, add a sachet of commercial flower food. It not only feeds the flowers but also controls the growth of bacteria in the water. Always remember to change the water every 2-3 days.
3. There should be no foliage below the water line. This is one of the biggest mistakes we make when vase-ing flowers. Our main focus point is the flowers. Take the leaves off. If you really want them to add weight to your bouquet, ensure that these are only from above the water line.
4. Not much goes on in the dead of the night so placing your flowers in the fridge overnight will help the cause of preserving their freshness for longer.
5. As the days go by the flowers are going to naturally start wilting. Do the smart thing by taking out the wilting flowers to avoid any contamination.

It’s as easy that. With just a little love and effort, your flowers will look as good as new for longer than you’d expect.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amra Yooseph

Amra is a full time sustainability auditor who makes time to follow her passion in journalism as a part time writer and presenter. Something she loves doing is meeting people and learning what their outlook on a given situation is. She also happens to be a big foodie and is always down for a good meal.