How to Keep Your Bouquet Fresh

Here are some tips to help your flowers stay fresh in the vase for longer.

Whenever we receive a lovely bouquet, we wish it could brighten our home for weeks or even months. Sadly, once flowers are cut from their roots, they start wilting, and there's no turning back. But there are ways to keep them looking fresh a bit longer. We've gathered some tried-and-true tricks from our experience. Let's enjoy the beauty of flowers for as long as we can!

• Fresh, clean air is key. Keep flowers away from cigarette smoke.
• Keep the room cool. It's best to place the vase in a cooler room.
• Before putting the flowers in water, remove the lower leaves. If you don't, they'll create bacteria faster and make the water smell.
• To slow down bacteria growth, add a flower preservative (like Chrysal), available at all flower shops. It contains bactericides and nutrients to keep flowers fresh longer.
• Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle under running, cool water. The longer the stem, the longer the cut should be.
• Change the water every 1-2 days.
• Avoid using water that's been softened by a filter.
• To revive a wilting rose, submerge it in a large container of water for 30-60 minutes. Then trim 1-2 cm from the stem.
• Lilies have many pollen-filled stamens. Remove them when the flower opens to extend its life and avoid stains.

Here are a few "grandma's recipes":

• Sweet preservative: Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the water. Great for roses, freesias, lilacs, lilies.
• Acidic preservative: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of vinegar or add 1 aspirin to 2 liters of water. Works for most flowers: chrysanthemums, lilies of the valley, callas.

Some flowers have specific needs:

• Acacia – Don't mix with other flowers. Submerge the whole stem in water.
• Gerbera – Don't cut, just snap. Submerge 6-10 cm in water.
• Lily – Change water often, refresh the cut regularly. Submerge the whole stem.
• Freesia – Submerge the whole stem in water. Best not mixed with other flowers.
• Carnations – Change water when it gets cloudy. Avoid preservatives.
• Tulips – Immediately after cutting, place in water covering one-third of the stem.
• Lily of the Valley – Leave space between stems. Place in a well-lit spot. Add a little vinegar or aspirin to the water.