Here at Flower Station we have rigorous controls that keep our cut flowers as fresh as we think is humanly possible. Some of the examples can be seen with our huge walk-in “fridge-room” at our main London florist, 6 daily flower delivery shipments from Holland, Costa Rica and Italy a week, as well as constant checking and careful conditioning of flowers by our UK florists and cleaners. I have been told that there are some more tricks and knowing that a hand designed bouquet of flowers is one of the greatest gifts one can receive, I have decided to put some tips and ensure that your spectacular arrangements stay as long and as fresh as possible in your household.

Always, always, always pay attention to what you're about to cut

Your flowers will always be carefully aqua packed to ensure greatest possible freshness by our florists. However, upon receiving your flowers it is a good idea to place them in a glass vase straight away. This will not only ensure that your flowers are given more breathing space outside of the original wrapping, but give you the best chance to enjoy them as well, as they will undoubtedly always look better in a nice container. Remember at this point that flowers are thirsty creatures and will want to drink a lot of water. So, as a rule of thumb, always make sure that the water levels are always higher rather than lower and make sure that the vase is always three quarters full (some foliage may sometimes have shorter stems that won’t reach as far inside the vase and with big bouquets especially, you will not be able to notice this).

It may seem obvious but changing water is of paramount importance to keeping your flowers fresh too. If possible change the water in your vase once a day, otherwise every two to three days will still be ok, not perfect, but nevertheless ok. When changing water remember to clean out any debris left on the stems. Leaves as well as broken pieces of stems can cause bacteria to build in the container, which will not only look dirty, but will shorten the lifespan of all the flowers in the vase. A very good idea would be to also wash the inside of the vase before placing the flowers back in.

Try to mix in flower food in with the clean water in the vase. Yes – flower food. It may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but the little sachets that come with your bouquet are full of essential nutrients that will help feed the flowers and increase their lifespan. Ensure also, just before you place the flowers in the water, that you cut the stems at the bottom of the bouquet at an angle, ensuring that the stems soak up as much water as possible. You will find it easiest with scissors and it really is important to use a slightly sharper object (be safe now), and cut without smashing or flattening the stems, especially when dealing with softer flowers, such as tulips, freesias, daffodils, etc.

Lastly, if buying lilies or amaryllis, beware of the pollen on these flowers. It can stain skin and clothing, so take care when around them. In case you do get stained; use cello tape to take these stains off, as brushing alone will make it worse.