Getting fresh flowers is a real treat – one that you would like to keep fresh for as long as possible. By following these simple directions, you can ensure your flowers will be around for you to enjoy for their longlivity.

When you first get your fresh flowers, choose the vase you intend on putting them into. Fill it with water and add the floral preservative. Do this before you begin trimming your flowers. Cut the stems of your flowers under running fresh clean at a diagonal slant. By cutting them under running water prevents the flowers from “breathing in” air. The slant cut helps them to drink water easier. While the stems are still under running water, trim any foliage off that will be below the water line. Immediately put the flowers into the pre-prepared flower vase. If you need to rearrange, do so quickly limiting the time your flowers stems are in contact with air. Place your arranged flowers in a cool location and keep away from heat sources, drafts, and air conditioners.

Every two to three days repeat the stem cutting process while freshening up the flowers vase water.

By following these easy steps you will be able to enjoy your beautiful fresh flowers for a long time.

Poinsettia, a beautiful accent for the holidays, definitely adds to the appeal and spirit of Christmas. However, after time takes its toll, your poinsettia can loose its appeal, but with proper care, dedication, and luck, you can re-bloom your poinsettia bring back the appeal and extending its beauty in to later months of the New Year.

By cutting your poinsettia back to approximately 8 inches in height in late march or early April, and then maintain a regular watering schedule, and giving your poinsettia a healthy all purpose fertilizer, by the end of May you should begin to see healthy new growth.

In the Spring, place your poinsettia outside where it can get the healthy nutrients from natural sun while continuing with your regular watering schedule. Fertilize your poinsettia every 2 to 3 weeks during this time. You may need to do a little pruning in Late June, early July to keep your poinsettia bushy but do not prune later than the first of September.

You can transplant your poinsettia the first part of June. Do not choose a container more than 4 inches larger then its current pot. Poinsettia bloom during November and December but can be difficult to get to bloom for the holidays if not cultivated in a very controlled environment. Beginning in October it is imperative that you place your poinsettia in total darkness for 14 hours out of the day and then ensure they get 6 to 8 hours of bright sunlight a day. Night temperatures must range between 60 and 70 degrees. Any alteration of this will result in delayed or halted blooming. That is why for many it is just much easier to let the professionals grow and bloom your holiday poinsettias. They can be very temperamental, and when you are counting on their beauty to accent your home, for many, it is easier just to order poinsettias delivered.

One of the grandest things of the holiday season is the smell of Christmas Greens. That deep fragrant earthy evergreen scent of pine finishes off the spirit of the season. Evergreen greenery bring with them memories of yesterday and tradition. Because of this, you want to make that memory last for as long as possible.

From Christmas wreaths to Christmas swags, to evergreen garland, can stay with you throughout the holiday season and beyond with proper care.

To start with you want to make sure your greenery is as fresh as possible. That is where Brant Florist can step in and cover that for you. Brant Florist only deals with reputable florist dealers that only deliver the freshest possible products so you can rest assured that any greenery you order from Brant Florist will be delivered fresh.

Many Christmas Greeneries are created using quality Balsam firs. Florists judge them on their needle characteristics. The best firs display medium length needles that grow tightly together all around the stem and branches. The needles should be perfectly straight and present in a deep dark green coloring.

When hanging your greenery in a wintery wonderland outside, your wreath, swags, garland etc. will last easily far past the holiday season. The cool temperatures combined with the moist atmosphere provide the perfect conditions to preserve your firs freshness, color, and aroma. However, when decorating the interior of your home with holiday greenery, due to the warmer conditions and dryer air, you can expect your holiday greenery to last about a month. There are things you can do to keep your wreath, swags, and garland fresher longer, moisture being a key factor. Spritzing your Christmas Greenery daily with fresh water will go a long way in keeping its beauty and aroma. If your home is extremely dry, spritz your greenery more often. Also, when displaying your greenery indoors, always take great measures to place/hang then away from any direct heat sources.

If you receive your Christmas Greenery before you are able to display it, in the midterm, store them in the great wintery outdoors to ensure its longlivity before hanging.

Poinsettias play an active role in the holiday season, and because of that you want to keep them just as fresh and beautiful as the day you got them. Here are some do’s and don’ts of poinsettia care to help you extend the longlivity in the beauty of your poinsettias.

Do’s:

Your poinsettia plant should be placed in indirect sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.

For the longlivity of your poinsettia, keep the room temperatures between 68-70 degrees.

Water your poinsettia plant when the soil feels dry to the touch.

If you need to transport your poinsettia outside of your home, cover it in a large roomy plastic bag. Kitchen garbage bags work nicely.

Fertilize your poinsettia plant only after the blooming season. Use a general all purpose fertilizer. Never fertilize your poinsettia while in bloom.

Don’ts

Do not place your poinsettia plant by cold drafts or excessive heat sources such as heating ducts, space heaters, or fireplaces. It is understandable that poinsettias can set off a fireplace mantle beautifully, but if it is a working fireplace, your poinsettia will not be able to withstand the heat.

Do not leave your poinsettia out in the cold. Just because poinsettias are considered a winter plant, does not mean they fair well in cold temperatures.

Do not overwater you poinsettia or allow it to sit in standing water.

By following these few simple do’s and don’ts, your Brant Florist poinsettias will not fail you.

A little extra care can make any size flower arrangement or fresh flower bouquet last longer. Part of the intrinsic value of fresh cut flowers is the fact that their beauty is so fleeting… it does make them all the more precious.Nonetheless, we usually want those fresh flowers to last as long as possible. Fortunately, we can add several days to the vase life of fresh cut flowers by following the practices used by professional florists to prolong the vitality of their products. A small investment of time will pay off in the extended enjoyment of your beautiful blossoms. Most floral arrangements can be made to last 6-10 days or longer, depending on the flowers used and the care they receive. (more…)