Flowers that have been in a box for twelve to eighteen hours need a little help when they arrive. Not much, but the right steps in the first ten minutes make a real difference to how long they last. This is what we tell every customer who asks.
Cut the stems before anything else ¶
The most important thing is to recut the stems at an angle before they go into water. Stems seal over in transit, even with a water sachet. A fresh diagonal cut opens up the vascular tissue and lets the flower drink properly. Use a sharp knife rather than scissors if you can. Scissors can crush the stem end, which restricts water uptake. Cut about 2cm off, at roughly 45 degrees.
Use a clean vase and cool water ¶
Bacteria in a dirty vase will shorten vase life significantly. Rinse the vase with cold water and a small drop of washing-up liquid, then rinse again thoroughly. Fill with cool, not cold, water. Very cold water can shock some flowers, particularly tropical varieties, though for British seasonal stems it is less of an issue. Room temperature water is fine.
Remove any leaves below the waterline ¶
Leaves sitting in water rot quickly and introduce bacteria. Strip any foliage that would sit below the water surface before you arrange the stems. This is especially important for roses and dahlias, which are prone to bacterial rot at the stem end. It takes about two minutes and extends vase life noticeably.
Where you put the vase matters ¶
Keep flowers away from direct sunlight, radiators, and fruit bowls. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which accelerates petal drop. A cool room away from draughts is ideal. Sweet peas in particular dislike warm rooms. If you have a cool hallway or a north-facing windowsill, that is a good spot.
Change the water every two days ¶
This is the step most people skip. Fresh water every two days, with another small trim of the stems, extends vase life by several days. You do not need flower food sachets, though they do not hurt. Clean water and a fresh cut are more important than any additive.
If something arrives in poor condition, email us at hello@foxglovepost.com with a photo. We will always sort it out. Flowers are perishable and occasionally things go wrong in transit, but we stand behind every order.