How to keep cut flowers alive
for twelve days, not five

We guarantee our bouquets for vase life because we know the two places they die: the first hour after unwrapping, and the fruit bowl. Get the first hour right and stay away from the fruit, and twelve days stops being ambitious.

1. Cut the stems, then cut them again

Every stem gets a fresh cut at 45 degrees, under running water or submerged so no air bubble forms in the stem. An air lock at the base is how a perfectly good bouquet wilts overnight. Re-cut every second day after that. Yes, it matters that much.

The angle is not a florist superstition. A flat cut seals against the bottom of the vase; a diagonal keeps an opening for water uptake even when the stem rests on the glass.

2. Water level depends on the stem type

Woody stems (roses, hydrangea, branches) want a full vase. Soft stems (tulips, ranunculus, anemones) want about a third of a vase, because deep water rots them. Change the water every two days, and rinse the vase instead of just topping it up. Bacteria is what actually kills cut flowers.

Our weekly wraps ship with a card that says which regime the week's stems want. Or just remember: hard stem, deep water, soft stem, shallow.

3. The fruit bowl is the enemy

Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas, which tells flowers to age faster. A vase next to the fruit bowl can lose four days of life. Same goes for direct sun, heaters, and the car dashboard, obviously.

4. Feed them, or at least do not poison them

The sachet in your wrap is flower food: sugar for energy, an acidifier, and a bactericide. Use it all in the first fill. If you run out, a teaspoon of sugar plus two drops of bleach per litre is a passable home version. Do not use aspirin, coins, vodka, or anything else the internet told you about.

5. Pull the dead ones early

One fading stem dumps bacteria into the water for the rest. When a stem goes, pull it and top up the water. The bouquet gets looser but lives longer. Or ring us: under five days, that is a free replacement, not a lesson learned.