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5 Tips for Beautiful Flower Arrangements

Whether you’re buying flowers for your home or for a big event, you likely want the flowers to last as long as possible while still remaining intact and beautiful. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep your flowers looking lively and fresh throughout the arrangement process. Read below for five tips on how to make flower arrangements look their best.

1. Flower Selection

It’s best to start by buying fresh, local flowers because they will be the healthiest. Local downtown flower shops, farmers markets, flower farms and inner city flower markets are good places to check out. If you aren’t picking your flowers yourself, make sure to ask your florist where they get their flowers and how long they’ve had them.

Regardless of where you go, you should look for flowers that have firm and sturdy stems. The bud of the flower should be closed and firm, if the bud is squishy it means that it is old and not ideal to purchase. It is better to buy flowers that are closed because you can watch them bloom in your arrangement.

Once flowers bloom, they begin to wilt and die. By picking flowers that haven’t bloomed yet, you are guaranteed to have flowers with longer life cycles.

2. Water

As soon as you get home, put your flowers in water. It is best to use tepid water, water that is neither too hot or too cold, instead it is lukewarm. Tepid water is best for flower arrangements, or other plants in your home, because it won’t shock the plants stems and roots by being too hot or too cold.

If the flower you have has a tightly closed head, for example roses commonly have closed buds when you first get them, warmer water helps the flower bloom and open fully. Using warm water for a day or two will assist the blooming process.

The water for flowers should be switched every day or two because old water contains bacteria that is bad for your floral arrangement. If you can, clean the container too because debris can build up inside. By keeping the water and container clean, your flowers will last much longer and look healthier.

3. Cut Stems

Before arranging flowers or placing them in water, an inch should be cut off the bottom of the stems using a sharp knife. The fresh cut helps the plant absorb more water. Whenever you replace the water and clean the vase, you should re-cut the stems to promote water absorption.

4. Flower Colours

Your flower arrangements should consist of flowers that are similar colours, too many different colours can be hectic to look at. Although, make sure to select a variety of plants that match in colour. By having a variety of plants, the floral arrangement will have more texture making it visually appealing.

5. Placement

When your arrangement is ready, make sure to place it in an area that isn’t too susceptible to excessive temperature changes. Avoid placing flowers in direct sunlight, near heating vents, fans and air conditioners, otherwise your flowers can become damaged easily.

This may seem odd, but keep flowers away from fresh fruit because it can shorten the lifespan of your flowers. Fresh fruits release ethylene gas which plants are highly sensitive to.

To ensure the longevity of your flower arrangement, water, recut stems and take good care of them. Also, flowers need to ‘rest’ after they have been handled and transported. To do so, place your flowers in a dark, cool room overnight or longer.

Other than that, have fun using your floral arrangements as decoration or gifts!

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