Flower Care

Avoid Heat & Drafts

Display your flowers in a place protected from heat-generating appliances, direct sunlight and drafts such as fans. High temperatures and sunlight cause flowers to mature at a faster rate, which can shorten the lifespan of your bouquet.

Important Information

*For those with allergies or sensitivities to flower fragrance, the best non-fragrant options are tropical flowers such as orchids, anthurium, birds of paradise or other tropical varieties. Oriental lilies, particularly Stargazer lilies, are strongly fragranced and should be avoided.

*Varieties that are particularly toxic to animals include lilies, palms, tulip bulbs, narcissus bulbs, azaleas, rhododendrons, cyclamens, kalanchoes, amaryllises, chrysanthemums, English ivy and peace lilies.

Prune Daily

*Remove any leaves that may be submerged in the water in your vase. These will rot and create bacteria, which can shorten the life of your floral bouquet.

*Some flowers will bloom quickly, others slowly. Over time, prune away dead blossoms, as this will encourage other blooms to open. As flowers wither, you may want to remove them from the floral bouquet and move the remaining blooms to a smaller vase.

Cut Stems At an Angle

*Every few days, re-cut fresh flower stems diagonally under running water (ideally with a knife rather than scissors). Trimming flower stems at an angle prevents them from sitting flat on the bottom of the vase, which can block water uptake.

*A common myth suggests cutting the stem vertically to allow more water absorption. No scientific proof supports this myth. In fact, cutting stems vertically destroys the cell structure, causing bacteria growth and hindering water absorption.

Water Wisely

*It is important to keep fresh flowers in water at all times as they continue to "drink" water even after they are cut. Exposure to air — even for a brief time — may cause the water-absorbing cells in the stem to shrivel and seal over. This can dramatically shorten the life of your floral bouquet.

*Every day, add fresh, room temperature water properly mixed with flower food provided with your floral bouquet. Carefully follow the directions on your flower food packet; the treated water shouldn’t be too diluted or too cloudy.

*Conditioning water with "home remedies" such as aspirin, bleach, mouthwash or lemon-lime soda in lieu of flower food is not beneficial and may even shorten the longevity of your flowers. Most wilted flowers can be revived by submerging the entire stem up to the flower head in warm water for 10 minutes.