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Keeping your Christmas Flowers Fresh
Silver Lining
Flowers are a lovely gift to receive for Christmas. When you do get such a wonderful gift, you want to take the extra measures to keep your Christmas flowers fresh for as long as possible. To keep your Christmas flowers fresh for an extended period of time, follow these easy steps:
Check your Christmas flowers daily to ensure it has proper water. Your Christmas flower vase, container, or liner should always have fresh room temperature water. Even floral arrangements with Styrofoam liners should have adequate water to keep your Christmas flowers as fresh as possible. When ever you completely change the water in your Christmas flower arrangements, makes sure to clean the container as well. Use the fresh flower food the florist provides on delivery with all flowers. Use as directed. Improper use can actually cause more damage and premature aging of your flowers.
Every few days trim the stems of your Christmas flowers back to give them a better drink way to intake fresh water. Cutting the steam at an angle also gives the flowers the best chance of taking up fresh water. Remove any spent or damaged blooms or foliage that falls below the waterline in the vase.
If you are concerned of disturbing the Christmas flower arrangement order, simply tie a piece of twine around the stems just above the vase line. While holding your Christmas flowers from twine tied location gently turn over, cut stems with sharp scissors, and return to vase, arrangement unharmed.
Be sure no debris is floating in the water (such as leaves and stem parts) as this could promote the growth of bacteria, which can shorten a flower’s life. Most flowers prefer temperatures between 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 22 degrees Celsius) and are best displayed away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents, directly under ceiling fans, or on top of televisions or radiators, which give off heat and can cause flowers to dehydrate.
Following these few simple steps will help extend the life of your Christmas flowers while keeping them fresh.
My sister bought my Mom a Christmas arrangement and I noticed that she sat it in the bay window of my Mom’s room at the nursing home. I told her that it got pretty hot in that window and that the flowers might fare better on the dresser away from the direct heat. She almost rolled off the side of the bed laughing at me. Turns out it was a very real looking plastic arrangement.
I never thought about tying string around the arrangement in order to cut the stems. When I get fresh flowers I usually change the water and recut the stems every 3 days. I can do this 2 or 3 times before the flowers start looking bad. Of course you always need to make sure you start with the freshest flowers possible. I know Brant Florist is very particular about this which is why I continue to use them.
My sister and her husband celebrated their silver anniversary the day after Christmas so the Silver Lining arrangement showed up just in time to have it delivered on their special day. In todays world a marriage that lasts this long deserves to be celebrated in a big way. I always know that I will find just what I’m needing when I shop with Brant Florist.
I have a nosy neighbor who has an opinion on EVERYTHING and most of the time it’s not quite right. When she suggested that I cut the stems of my flowers on an angle I thanked her and did as I always do, cutting them straight. Now, you tell me that she was right. I guess I’ll have to thank her the next time I see her, but I’m not looking forward to the experience, it will just encourage her! Thanks, I think.
I was born on Christmas Day and my Mother named me Scarlet. I always thought it was because of the movie “Gone With The Wind” but she swears it was because of the red red roses that my Dad gave her the day I was born. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been partial to red flowers. I bought the Silver Lining arrangement for my Mom and one for myself. It was such a striking vision.