One of my favorite things to do is go outside in the morning and scope out all the flowers in my yard. I always trim the prettiest ones to bring inside and add some fresh color to the house.
Now that we are in the summer months, fresh flowers can dwindle almost immediately upon trimming. The worst thing to do is trim off a big beautiful rose only to have it wilt the minute you bring it inside. Being a scientist, I have experimented and researched over the years what works best.
I have shared with you how to properly trim a rose bush to encourage healthy growth, and keep your bloom looking vibrant. Now, I have some tips for you that will help you keep any of those fresh cut flowers lingering as long as possible and still look beautiful. If you follow me on instagram, you’ve probably seen all the pretty pictures I post of my flowers. Now, you can know my secrets to keeping them!
1. Always trim in the morning!
Plants are usually full of their own food early in the morning, so by trimming at this time, they will contain the most nutrients. This is especially true in the summer months.
2. Trim at an angle!
This will expose more are of the stem which will allow it to absorb more nutrients when it is in a vase.
3. Put fresh cut flowers IMMEDIATELY in water!
That way the stem will not have any exposure to air or drying.
4. Keep out of direct sunlight and change water everyday!
Sunlight will make the fresh flowers too warm and changing the water each day will eliminate any bacteria growth, which brings me to the next point…
4. Eliminate bacteria growth!
Bacteria begins to grow fairly soon in a vase of water. That is the point of those little packets they give you when you buy them at the store. It contains a chemical (called biocide) and usually an acid that kills bacteria. Fresh water and indirect sunlight will help eliminate the bacteria growth too.
My last tip is the best way I keep my fresh flowers alive the longest, especially with ones from the garden and that is:
5. Refrigerate every night!
Scientifically, this is proven to be the best way to keep cut flowers the longest. The cooler temperature will kill the bacteria that can grow in the water and will preserve the flower from any new growth. Here is how some carnations looked after two weeks:
[Tweet “Proven scientific ways to keep fresh cut flowers the longest!”]
So, next time you cut a pretty rose from your own garden, try these tips! Or even some beautiful store bought ones, these tips work for those too! Now since it is strawberry week, I wanted to show you the current arrangement I made for an outdoor picnic.
Pretty and Edible 🙂 Are you a fan of fresh cut flowers? I always try to keep some around the house!
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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.
These are great tips! Thanks, Alexis!
Thanks girl!
Thank you for these great tips! I never knew that you had to change out the water or refrigerate at night! Thanks for linking up with #TuesTalk.
Sarah (co-host)
http://www.sarahefrazer.comf
Thank you Sarah!
A few months ago, I learned about cutting the stems at an angle and I couldn’t believe how much longer my flowers lasted! I will definitely be trying out your other tips, too! Thanks so much for sharing at the Creative Inspiration party!
Thank you Kelly! I hope these will help keep your cuts fresh even longer 🙂
wonderful tips! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite things blog hop xo
Thanks Katherine!
Alexis, I didn’t know about putting flowers in the fridge at night! I follow the other steps you shared and love how long my flowers last. I’m updating an old post I wrote on this to add your tip – and a link back to you of course 🙂 Thanks for sharing your great tips! XO- Wendi
Thanks Wendi! That will be great 🙂 It is amazing how adding them in the fridge prolongs their life! Have a great weekend!
I LOVE fresh flowers so these tips will definitely come in handy! Thank you for sharing with us at Waiting on…Wednesday!
Holly @ http://www.iwillservewhileiwait.blogspot.com
Fresh Flowers are the best! Thanks Holly!
Love these tips. I’m sharing with my FB fans! Stopping by from Inspiration Monay!
The Frugal Ginger
Thanks Ashely!! Have a wonderful day!
Fantastic post! I normally keep fresh cut flowers on our back porch, due to our allergies. Then there isn’t so much sneezing happening inside LOL Thanks so much for taking the time to come by and link up at the #HomeMattersParty – we hope to see you again on Friday!
Thank you Kristen! That’s the only bad thing about fresh flowers, pollen! I will be back on Friday 🙂
Fabulous tips, dear Alexis! I never thought to refrigerate my flowers during the evening….I will have to try that next time I have a bouquet in the house 🙂
Thanks for joining Roses of Inspiration this week. It’s always a joy to have you at the party. Hugs!
I hope it can help you keep some fresh flowers longer! It’s amazing how much it helps! Have a great day!
Ah that’s why my flowers only last up to four days! I knew about cutting at an angle, but I was told to change the water every couple of days instead of daily. And the overnight refrigeration sounds genius too! Thanks for sharinG!
It makes such a difference for me when I put them in the fridge at night! I hope it will help you keep some cuts fresh longer for next time 🙂
Hi I see you are A rA warrior. I was just recently diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and RA. I am on chemo and getting ready to start a second, I donot seem to be responding very well to the meds and the tiredness is debilitating do you have any tips for dealing with this disease. Thank You.
Hi Lisa, that is a tough one to answer because so many factors come into play with fatigue and lack of energy. ONce the medications start working for me, I do feel better, but then the medications can also wear me out. I try to makes sure I am drinking a lot of water, I drink Kombucha for energy, I make smoothies and try to exercise as much as possible. Even just small walks outside to get my energy up. Here is a post I have on ways to get energy. The beginning of your diagnosis is the toughest because it can take months to get your medication figured out and get your disease under control. Once that is done, you will find everything starts to do better, and you will feel better too.