FLOWER CARE GUIDE

Flower Care: How to Make Your Flowers Last

Flower Club’s care guide covers how to unpack, trim and look after fresh flowers so they last as long as possible, with tips for popular flowers and for dried and artificial flowers.

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How do I make my flowers last longer?

Trim the stems at an angle, remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline, and put the flowers in a clean vase of cool water with flower food. Keep them somewhere cool, away from direct sun, heaters and ripening fruit, and change the water and re-trim the stems every two to three days.

Fresh flower care, step by step

Unpack and check. Take the flowers out of their packaging as soon as they arrive and remove any damaged petals or leaves.
Clean the vase. Wash it with warm, soapy water and rinse it well. Bacteria left in a vase shortens vase life.
Trim the stems. Use sharp scissors or secateurs to cut a couple of centimetres off each stem at an angle, so the stems can take up water easily.
Strip the lower leaves. Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline, as they rot and grow bacteria.
Add cool water and flower food. Fill the vase with clean, cool water and stir in the flower food sachet that comes with your bouquet.
Choose a cool spot. Keep flowers away from direct sun, heaters, air-conditioning vents, draughts and fruit bowls. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which makes flowers age faster.
Change the water every two to three days. Each time, rinse the vase, add fresh water and re-trim the stems.
Remove spent blooms. Take out flowers as they fade, so the rest of the bouquet stays looking fresh.

Bouquets and vase arrangements

Take hand-tied bouquets out of their wrapping and put them in water straight away. If the tie holds the shape well, you can leave it on. Choose a vase that suits the size of the bouquet, and add support for tall or top-heavy flowers.

Arrangements in floral foam

If your arrangement sits in floral foam, keep the foam wet by topping it up with water every day. Foam that dries out can’t take up water again easily.

Care tips for popular flowers

Roses

Trim the stems at an angle and remove leaves below the waterline. If a rose head starts to droop, re-cut the stem and stand it in deep, cool water. More: an easy guide to prolonging the life of your roses and how to take care of roses in a vase.

Tulips

Tulips keep growing after they’re cut and bend towards the light. Use a tall vase to support the stems and turn it now and then so they grow evenly.

Lilies (Oriental and LA lilies)

Remove the pollen-covered anthers as each flower opens, to avoid stains on clothes, tablecloths and furniture. If pollen does get on fabric, don’t rub it: lift it off with sticky tape. Lilies are highly toxic to cats, so keep them well out of reach.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas drink a lot of water. If the heads wilt, re-cut the stems and submerge the flower heads in cool water for a while to revive them. More: hydrangea season in Australia.

Peonies

Peonies are often delivered in bud and open over a few days. A warmer room helps them open; a cooler spot slows them down. More: peony season in Australia.

Alstroemeria, carnations and chrysanthemums

These are among the longest-lasting cut flowers. Remove yellowing leaves and spent flowers as they appear. For carnations, cut the stems between the joints (nodes) so they take up water easily.

Baby’s breath (gypsophila)

Keep baby’s breath away from fruit, as it is sensitive to ethylene. It also dries well, so you can leave it to dry once the rest of the bouquet has finished.

Calla lilies, snapdragons and dahlias

Calla lily stems are soft, so trim them with a sharp blade and change the water often. Snapdragons bend towards the light and drop their lower flowers first, so remove the spent ones. Dahlias have a shorter vase life than most cut flowers, so change their water often.

Anthuriums

Anthuriums are tropical flowers: keep them in a warm room, out of direct sun and away from cold draughts and air-conditioning.

Australian natives such as banksia

Banksias and many other natives are hardy and long-lasting. Handle banksias carefully, as the flower heads and leaves can be stiff and sharp. Change the water regularly, as for any cut flowers.

Caring for dried and artificial flowers

Dried flowers

Keep them out of direct sunlight, which fades the colour.
Keep them away from water, damp and humid rooms such as bathrooms.
Dust them gently with a soft brush or a hairdryer on a cool, low setting.
Handle them carefully, as dried stems and petals are brittle.

Artificial flowers

Dust them regularly with a soft, dry cloth or brush.
Spot-clean marks with a damp cloth and let them dry fully.
Keep them out of direct sunlight, which can fade the colour.
Store them in a cool, dry place, loosely packed so the petals don’t crush.

Looking for artificial flowers for a business or home? See artificial flower hire.

How long do flowers last?

How long do fresh flowers last?

Most fresh cut flowers last around a week, and some last longer with good care. Changing the water and re-trimming the stems every two to three days makes the biggest difference.

Which flowers last longest in a vase?

Chrysanthemums, carnations and alstroemeria are among the longest-lasting cut flowers. See 7 types of flowers that last longer.

How often should I change the water?

Every two to three days, or sooner if the water looks cloudy. Rinse the vase and re-trim the stems each time.

Why are my flowers drooping?

Usually because the stems can’t take up enough water. Re-cut the stems at an angle, put them in fresh, cool water and move the vase away from heat and direct sun.

Do flowers last longer in the fridge?

Cool temperatures slow flowers down, which is why florists keep them in a coolroom. Read will flowers last longer in the fridge before you try it, and keep flowers away from fruit.

How long do dried flowers last?

Much longer than fresh flowers. Kept dry, out of direct sun and away from humidity, dried flowers can keep their look for many months.

Fresh flowers, delivered

Every Flower Club bouquet comes with flower food and a care card. Next-day delivery is free anywhere in Australia when you order by 1pm Melbourne time; outside Melbourne’s same-day area, that’s the next business day, Monday to Friday. In Melbourne, same-day delivery is $14.99 within 30 km of the CBD, Monday to Saturday, when you order by 1pm.