Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is an updated version of a popular post on how to extend the life of Valentine’s Day flowers!
I wanted to share with you some awesome, scientifically proven, tips to keep your pretty flowers as long as possible! My husband and I don’t do big gifts for this holiday at all, but he has always brought home pretty bouquets with a beautiful vase!
He gets really creative with it too! He likes to combine all different flowers, colors, and textures to make something unique. Honestly, he is pretty awesome at making a flower arrangement!
I also just love buying flowers for myself. If I am having a rough day, or just need something therapeutic going on, I love to go flower shopping 🙂 I prefer it over clothes or anything like that. You have probably seen my flower shopping love on instagram!
Fresh cut flowers are always so special, and I love to keep them as long as I can.
How to Extend the Life of Valentine’s Day Flowers
The fact of the matter, flowers go bad quickly once they are exposed to air. Oxidation causes them to wilt, rot, and die usually after a week depending on the type of flower.
You may recall I posted some tips on keeping your flowers fresh for awhile back in the spring, but that was geared toward cutting them from your own garden. This is perfect for store bought blooms!
Tip One. Cut Stems
Always cut a good inch off the bottom at an angle. This will freshen up the bottom and allow the flower to soak up more water.
Tip Two. Trim Leaves
Trim off excess leaves. Especially with roses, all the extra leaves around the base take up space, and the cut will soak up enough water to feed those leaves too. That is too much for it to feed in a vase, so it helps to remove anything that isn’t necessary. The flower won’t have to work as hard!
Tip Three. Prepare Vase
Always prepare the vase with the little packets of food it comes with. The science behind this stuff is it will reduce bacteria growth, which is what usually makes the fresh cuts rot or die fast. Use a little of the packet and fill the vase with fresh water, but don’t fill the vase up too full. You just need enough to cover all the tips.
Want to make your own? We have an easy DIY fresh cut flower food that also explains all the fun science behind why it works!
Tip Four. Refrigerate
Every night, pop your vase in the fridge. This will stop any oxidation and bacteria growth for the time being. This is actually the best away to keep the flowers looking perky too!
Tip Five. Trim Again
Each day take the flowers out, trim the ends again.
Tip Six. Add Fresh Water
Refill the vase with fresh water everyday too. Make sure to add some of the plant food also!
Tip Seven. A Little Sun
Make sure the blooms have some window light, but not too much direct sunlight. Since it is winter, you probably won’t have too much hot sunlight coming in, but you definitely don’t want too much. It’s all about balance!
I learned these tips while I was studying horticulture in college. I love how horticulture flowed so well with chemistry too! That is why I love flower gardening so much 🙂
Bonus Tip for Valentine’s Day Flowers!
You can also use some of your flowers to make other things!
Homemade Rose Water (Good if You have Organic Roses 🙂 )
I hope you enjoyed trying out these tips for on how to extend the life of valentine’s day flowers! They work great for me every year 🙂
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
So many helpful hints! I love buying myself fresh flowers from Trader Joes or Whole Foods but I can’t stand how quickly they die!!
Christina :: Simple and Delish
It is so sad when they die within a few days! I try to follow these tips and I can keep them a few weeks still looking pretty 🙂
Great tips! I didn’t know about the refrigerator at night… Liz
Thanks Liz! It really helps 🙂
i always trim and take the leaves!
elle
Southern Elle Style
That always makes such a difference 🙂
I’m a fresh flower addict and I’m always looking to keep them looking nice as long as possible! I had never heard the fridge idea, I might have to try that if I can find room in there!
Oh me too! I love them! It really stops bacteria growth instantly. I always try to make room to fit the vase inside, although sometimes there just isn’t room lol
Hey Alexis… hope you had a good weekend. I got the rose bushes a bit under control – talk about unruly! Thanks for this post on keeping flowers fresh… In the past, I didn’t use the little plant food packet that came with the flowers. Then I read your post about cut flowers, and I started using the packet, but I’d put the entire packet in the water, then wondered if I kept changing the water, where’s the food. Now I get it – FOREHEAD SLAP INTO BRICK WALL. A little bit only each time…. OOOOHHHHH! (There’s your laugh for Monday – now get up off the floor…Ruger can quit groaning, too.) Enjoy!
My roses are really unruly too! The next warm day I plan on hitting those up! I used to do that too with the packet lol. Now I always stretch it out! It helps a lot 🙂
These are awesome tips, just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Thanks girl! Yes!! I definitely wanted to share in time for Vday 🙂
I definitely love getting fresh flowers for myself too! Our local grocery sells some that have been out for a week on discount. They still last a good week if you treat them right. Great post and great tips!
Thanks Kari! I love buying flowers at the store. It’s so nice when they take care of them too so they last even longer when you get them home 🙂 Have a great evening!
Some of these I knew some I didn’t all in all a good post
Thanks Jo-Anne!!!
LOVE this post! The doggie picture is the best! Thanks for linking up at the Meet Up Monday Link Party! Hope to see you again next week! Can’t wait to see more great posts from you!
Thanks so much Tara!!! I love linking up each week!!
Beautiful pictures 😉
XX
Mónica Sors
MES VOYAGES À PARIS
NEW POST: TRAVEL STYLE WITH FUR COAT
Thanks so much!!! Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for these awesome tips! This will really one in handy in the future! ?
Thanks Megan!! I hope they come in really handy for you 🙂
Love this! Such a great tip and I love the reasoning behind each one!
Thanks so much Morgan!! I appreciate that 🙂 Have a great day!
So those little packets of plant food really do something? Okay,…I’ll use them! I didn’t realize what they did! Thank you for these tips! I didn’t know about them!
They do!!! They will help prevent bacteria growth in the water, which is what ultimately makes the flowers wilt and die! Thank you 🙂
I can’t believe I missed this post!! Great minds think alike, haha!
That’s so funny! I love it! Great minds totally think alike 🙂
Oh my goodness! I love this post! I am going to stick my blooms in the fridge tonight! Thanks for sharing! yay!
Thanks girl!!! I hope you find it helpful to keep those flowers for a long time 🙂
Wow! What great tips on making flowers last longer and stay fresher. These are terrific! I enjoyed this a great deal and very helpful right before Valentine’s Day! Visiting as your neighbor today on the linkup at #Waiting on Wednesday!
Hi Pam, thanks so much for popping over! I hope you get to use these tips, they are such a game changer for fresh flowers! Have a great day!
Thank you so much for this post, I love getting flowers from the store too! This will be soo helpful for the next batch I get. I wonder if I will be able to apply these tips even after I’ve had flowers for a couple of days…
Thanks Shauna! You can definitely apply these tips even if you have had the blooms for a few days. They won’t last as long as they would if you had started at the beginning, but it will help keep them longer 🙂 I hope this helps! Have a wonderful day!
Great tips. Love these because Valentine’s flowers seem to come and go so quickly.
They really do! It is always so sad when they wilt so fast. I love keeping them as long as possible 🙂
Great advice! Flowers are so cheap here in the Nederlands so I buy them pretty regularly. I will certainly bear these tips in mind next time I buy some.
That is so awesome they are cheap! I bet they are beautiful around your area. Thanks so much!!!
These are great tips! I love fresh flowers and will definitely try these the next time I have some! Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Thanks so much Michelle! These tips really help keep those flowers for a long time!! 🙂 Have a great day!
Fresh flowers are fantastic. Thanks for these tips!
They really are the best!
Thank you so much for these tips! I love fresh flowers in the house, but hate when they die too soon.
Me too! That is always so sad!
Such Helpful Tips Alexis – thank you for sharing with Pin Worthy Wednesday
Thank you 🙂
Those little packets will only help if you mix the proper amount. Sprinkling in a little bit does no good at all. Mix it in required amount of water and then use that solution each time you re-cut the stems. If you don’t have a packet use 2/3 water and 1/3 soda such as 7-Up or Sprite or Ginger-Ale. Flat soda is fine but diet soda won’t work. Flowers need the sugar for energy. This combination has most of the preservative qualities of the packets and gives you a way to use up leftover soda pop. Also, some flowers last longer naturally. Choose carnations, pom-pons and alstroemeria for bouquets that go on and on!
Actually, that’s not entirely scientifically accurate! Those packets, even a small amount, eliminate bacterial growth. I am a chemist, so I actually have tested this out! Yes, sugar does feed the flowers, obviously diet drinks contain aspartame, so there is no sugar.
Thanks to science, we can know the truth about what methods work and what methods don’t! Thanks for the tips 🙂
I’m not sure my flowers will fit in the fridge (because it has food in it. not because my flowers are so massive you understand!) but the rest of your tips I am trying starting right now. Thanks.
Hi Julie! That is the only bad thing about the fridge, finding room! Sometimes I can’t get mine in there either, so I try to just keep them next to the cool air. I hope you can enjoy the other tips and they will work good for you! 🙂 Have a great day!
Putting the flowers in the fridge really works. I can get roses to really bloom like this! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
It really is such a good trick! 🙂
Adding the packet of food a little bit at a time is great info….I always dumped the whole packet it at once.. which probably wasn’t good for them. Thanks
It is definitely a good tip! Especially if you have a small bouquet 🙂