Flower Care

 

General Flower Care

Most flowers require the same general care for all of them however there are a few topics that need special attention. If your flowers require specialized steps it will be listed below. If you do not see your flower type listed below, please continue on with these general flower care tips.

Flowers are shipped in semi-closed bud form. This means they need about 1-2 days to fully bloom. Flowers may arrive looking “thirsty” and this is normal because of the trip, please follow your arranging instructions to begin hydrating your flowers properly. We always recommend that you care for your flowers immediately upon arrival. You are receiving flowers just as a florist would receive them!

1. If you purchased our DIY Wedding Kit in our company, flower food is included or you may use sugar. The flower food packets can be placed directly into your buckets of water upon arrival. They help keep the bacteria count in the water low.
2. Place bunches in room temperature water in your buckets without removing the outer packaging for the first 3-4 hours. After this time flowers can be removed from all packaging to allow for room to open fully. If you do not plan on arranging your flowers within 24 hours of arrival, please replace the water they are stored in each day. Additional flower food is not necessary. If you prefer to have flowers bloom faster, you can increase the water temperature slightly to 75-80°F. It is important to remember that cooling the water temperature will have the alternative affect and slow down the blooming process.
3. Always keep flowers in a cool room away from direct sunlight and excessive heat. Just like water temperature, the warmer the environment, the faster blooms open and vice versa. Your flowers do not require refrigeration. If you do choose to place them in a refrigerator, please make certain it is free from all other foods to avoid contamination.  Ethylene released from foods can cause flowers to wilt.

 

Certain Flower Varieties:

We may offer a different varieties of flowers in our company.

Roses

Make sure you completely open the cardboard packaging after 3-4 hours of initial hydration. Roses come packaged with 25 stems per bunch and are "shelved." This means some stems can go unnoticed upon arrival as they are hiding in their packaging. Most roses include 3-5 discolored guard petals to protect their inner petals (It is not uncommon to remove on average 3-6 petals per rose or you can keep them to offer a more natural shape). These should be removed during the arranging process. Our roses arrive in semi-bud form, they should open within 12-24 hours, and bloom to between 2.6" and 3.8" in diameter.

Garden Roses

Garden roses come in units of 12 in one bunch with cardboard wrapped around them. It is important to remove any foliage from below so there isn't any in the water. You do not need to remove the cardboard sleeve or the rubber bands for the first 3-4 hours while the roses hydrate and then remove once well hydrated. Upon removal of the protective packaging, carefully pluck off any brown or discolored guard petals. It is not uncommon to remove an average of 3-6 petals per rose. Or you may keep those guard petals to keep a more natural aspect.

 

Hydrangea

Hydrangea stems are shipped with hydration packs at the bottom of the stems. It is absolutely critical that all stems are fully submerged in water upon arrival. Hydrangeas are extra thirsty flowers and will wilt if not placed in water immediately. If this happens, however, you could soak the entire head of the flower into water to revive them before a permanent damage occurs.

Ranunculus

A separate hydrating vessel or smaller bucket should be used to hold ranunculus while they hydrate since they are typically shorter than other flowers. Ranunculus stems looks naturally curl and bend. There is typically one main bloom per stem and often offshoot buds that do not. If you have floral food, it's great to add the floral food into the water, but not absolutely necessary. Most important will be re-cutting and changing the water periodically. It is also very important to make sure you're using a bucket that is tall enough to support the stems  or you may cut the stems down to fit your bucket. Ranunculus have hollow stems they will need the support so they don't bend over.

Dusty Miller

In order to take care of Dusty Miller please follow the same steps as other greenery just please remember that these stems are  shorter than others and typically need a shorter bucket or vase to hydrate in. Try not to get the leaves of dusty miller wet as they tend to soak in water. Keep hydrating upright in original packaging for up to 12 hours then remove packaging. You must make sure the bottom of the stems are in water when not in use.

Succulents

Succulents require little care with minimal watering. Set aside until you are ready to use them. Succulents are shipped with sticks so you are able to use them in your arrangements when you need them. Gently twist the sharp edge of the stick into the bottom of the succulent and use floral tape for extra support. 

Greenery Garlands

If you are ordering a pre-assembled greenery garland, it will need to be placed in a cool room away from direct sunlight. Garlands can use a spritz of water every few days.