Save big time on cut flowers by making them last twice as long

Less than a minute a day – that’s all it takes to double the life of your flowers. And, if you buy a bunch every week, be it from your local dairy, supermarket or florist, then it’s the equivalent of getting them half price.

Florist Chikako Shiraki of White Tree Floral says the secret to doubling the life of cut flowers is simple: You simply replace all the water and rinse out the vase every day. And it’s a good idea to trim the bottom of the stems before you first put them in a vase, and then around every two to three days.

“You can tell the difference so easily when you replace the water each day, because you will get a week to 10 days more life out of your flowers,” she says. “People say ‘I’m so busy’, but really what’s a minute? Just do it. If you look after your cut flowers you get much better value.”

And, if you think your flowers are starting to droop, chop a reasonable amount off the stem and they will perk up instantly and give you many more days.

“For flowers with a long, thin stem, it’s like us trying to drink water through a very long, skinny straw – it’s actually quite difficult,” says Shiraki. “So, make it easier for them. And don’t add Janola/bleach to the water. You wouldn’t add it to flowers in the garden and you don’t need to add it to water.”

What’s the secret to making an arrangement look good? 

If you buy or get given a bouquet, keep the string on and pop the flowers in the vase the way they are arranged. If you don’t have a big enough vase, then you can split the bouquet and maybe have two vases. You can be creative in what you use for a vase, but I find a vase with a wide base and neck that narrows through the middle is one of the best ways to display a bouquet.

If you buy your own flowers and have to arrange them from scratch, start by going out into the garden and choosing some greenery to put with your flowers. Maybe ask a neighbour if you don’t have anything leafy.

Place the greenery in the vase first, then the biggest blooms, then the next size flowers, and finish with the smallest flowers. You will be able to see where the gaps are in your arrangement.

What are some of the new colours and flowers coming through?

We are seeing a lot of dark colours, such as burgundy and brown, teamed with pink. Very strong colours are certainly “in” at the moment. For example, carnations now come in dusky pinks and greys with frilly edges in different colours. And chrysanthemums are a lot more exotic in shape and colour than just the traditional old yellow and white.

And the new irises are amazing. We think of irises always being that purple-blue colour, but you can get white, brown, yellow and dark purple.

But what’s most popular with your clients?

All my customers want is white and green, maybe with a little bit of pastel thrown in. If I add a bright gerbera in the mix, they will say ‘I love that, but can you please make one without the gerbera’. They don’t want red, orange, yellow or blue.

However, I go to the flower auctions with a friend and she buys totally different flowers for her clients. They love those colourful reds, yellows and orange blooms.

What do you like best for Christmas?

I quite like the traditional Christmas lilies in a simple arrangement with pine foliage. They can look almost like a Christmas tree. And you get the scent of pine with a hint of sweetness from the lilies. If you don’t like the orange-brown mess that drops off the stamens, you can easily pluck them out with two fingers just as the flower is starting to open. If you do it early, that pollen hasn’t formed and there will be no staining.

What about peonies?

Some people don’t like to get these stunningly beautiful flowers because the petals drop off quickly. I suggest that once they are fully open, you cut off the flower heads and float them in a bowl of water. That way you can still enjoy them, they last a lot longer, and you don’t get the mess. And regarding their smell? Well, that’s just the way they are. The darker ones seem to have a stronger odour.

Why do flowers enhance our sense of wellbeing?

Flowers can make other people happy; but they can make us happy too. When you come home from work and see them sitting on the dining table they can really lift your spirits. Taking fresh flowers home is like a gift for yourself.

• This story originally appeared on stuff.co.nz