Flower care
How to get a second week
Flowers bought at market that morning arrive with everything still in front of them. Four minutes of work when they land is worth more than anything we could have done in the studio.
The four things that matter
Cut them again, at an angle
Two centimetres off each stem with a sharp knife or good scissors, on a slant. A flat cut sits on the bottom of the vase and drinks nothing. Scissors that crush rather than cut do the same. Do it under running water if you can.
Strip anything below the waterline
Leaves under water rot within a day, and the bacteria that follow block the stems of everything else in the vase. This single step does more than any sachet.
Clean vase, cold water
Wash the vase properly, not just a rinse. Fill it two thirds with cold water and add the flower food we sent. The food is not a gimmick: it feeds them and it slows the bacteria.
Change the water every two days
Every two days, and re-cut a centimetre while you are there. This is the difference between five days and twelve.
Where to put them
- Out of direct sun. A sunny windowsill is the fastest way to lose a bouquet. Cool and bright beats warm and bright every time.
- Away from radiators and the top of the television. Heat from below is worse than heat from beside.
- Not next to the fruit bowl. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene, which tells flowers to finish. Bananas and apples are the worst offenders.
- Out of a draught. An open window or an air conditioning vent dries petals from the edge in.
A few that want something different
- Tulips
- They keep growing in the vase and they lean towards the light. That is not a fault, it is what tulips do. Turn the vase daily if you want them upright.
- Hydrangeas
- They drink through their petals as well as their stems. If one flags, submerge the whole head in cool water for twenty minutes and it will usually come back.
- Daffodils and narcissi
- Their sap is toxic to other flowers. If we have sent them alone, that is why. Give them their own vase for the first day.
- Woody stems, like lilac and blossom
- Split the bottom two centimetres with a knife so they can take up water properly.
- Lilies
- Pinch out the orange anthers as they open. The pollen stains fabric permanently and it shortens the flower. Also worth knowing: lilies are seriously poisonous to cats, so tell us if you have one and we will leave them out.
When they are done
Everything we send is compostable, including the wrap and the twine. We do not use floral foam in anything, which is why nothing in the box needs to go in the bin.