How to Keep Cut Flowers Blooming This Summer
Blooming Summer
Golden hours, carefree days and bold blooms. Our favorite season is finally here!
Flowers can help you transform a space with minimal effort. Whether it’s filling your hallway with gorgeous fresh scent, adding a vibrant splash of color to timeless decor or welcoming guests with a stunning table-setting, flowers can help you transform a space with minimal effort. Keep them going strong with the right care.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT VASE
Flower stalks do not like to be too close to each other. Cup-shaped vases with a narrow base will obviously have less water at the bottom and this will cramp the stems, making it difficult for them to absorb enough water. When choosing a vase, pick one that gives the flowers plenty of room to thrive
KEEP THE VASE CLEAN
Always wash the vase thoroughly before use, otherwise the remnants of old bouquets or dirt could cause bacterial growth when you refill the vase with fresh water. Cut flowers do not tolerate bacteria and will wither quickly. This is why it’s always a good idea to rinse the vase an extra time, even if it might look clean.
USE A SHARP KNIFE
It’s important to use the right tools when you cut the flowers. If you use the wrong tool, like a pair of scissors, you risk crushing the vascular system that the stem uses to absorb water. Use a really sharp knife or wallpaper cutter to make a clean cut.
USE HOT OR COLD WATER DEPENDING ON THE STEM TYPE
Make sure you put the flowers in water as quickly as possible. This will stop the cut stems from sealing and drying out. But should you use warm or cold water? This depends on the type of stem: hard stems, like roses, prefer warm water, while soft stems, like Tulips, prefer cold water.
DO NOT PUT THE BOUQUET IN A PLACE THAT IS TOO WARM
Bouquets keep better in a cool environment. Avoid placing the vase in direct sunlight or near other heat sources, like a radiator or a fireplace. For longer lasting blooms, put the bouquet somewhere cool at night, like a basement or garage.
KEEP FLOWERS AWAY FROM FRUIT
Did you know that apples and pears release ethylene gas that speeds up the ripening process of other fruits? The ethylene gas also affects flowers, causing them to wither faster.
Mixing lots of different colors in a bouquet gives a real visual kick. Flowers have long been a passion of GUESS co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Paul Marciano.
FOR THE LOVE OF PEONIES
Peonies only bloom for a short season, from late April until mid- June, which makes them all the more special. Each individual flower is like a work of art, its layers of petals forming tight round buds that gradually unfurl to reveal their full, ruffled blooms. The scent of a peony will depend on the variety, color, and even the time of day, and is often described as sweet and rose-like, or even slightly citrus. The fullbodied shape of this luxurious flower has a strong feminine quality, making them perfect for indulgent bouquets and flower arrangements.