Happy Rose Month!
After my big rose give away at the Boldmere Festival on Sunday, I thought I’d do a blog about how to look after roses and what to do when they droop. I also made a little video on Instagram if you’re more of a visual learner! You can find that here.
My top tips for keeping any flowers fresher for longer…
- Recut the stems at an angle and replace the water every 2-3 days. You can generally see when the water needs changing, but it does go cloudier quicker in the heat. If you have flower food then add this in when you replace the water, as this gives them extra nutrients. By cutting the stems at an angle, it helps to increase the surface area of water take up and stops them from sitting on the bottom of the vase.
- Clean your vase. Bacteria builds up in the water so by cleaning the vase every time you refresh the water, it helps to keep your flowers going for longer.
- Remove excess leaves. Apart from clogging up the vase and making it look messier if your vase is transparent, leaves under the water rot and the bacteria in the water will build up more quickly.
- Don’t display by fruit! Ripening fruit actually releases a gas that makes flowers wilt, so avoid displaying your flowers nearby. They are best kept in a cooler room out of the sunlight and away from radiators or drafts.
Top tips for roses…
- Use lukewarm water. Roses prefer lukewarm water as they drink it more easily and it avoids shock from cold water.
- Cut stems underwater. If you do this, it can help prevent air bubbles getting trapped in the stems. When this happens, your roses will droop.
However, all hope is not lost! Here’s a method for reviving your roses once they’ve drooped due to airlock…
- Boil the kettle and fill a mug with the water.
- Recut your roses at an angle.
- Place the stems in the boiling water. You should see the air bubbles coming out of the stems. If not, then it is unlikely to be airlock.
- Fill a clean vase with fresh lukewarm water. If you have flower food, even better!
- Recut your stems at an angle and place in the vase.
- Watch your roses come back to life. They may need a little bit of time, so be patient as it won’t happy straight away! If they’ve gone too far, they may not be retrievable.
I also couldn’t talk about roses, without telling you about one of my favourite floristry tools, my rose strippers! They are so useful and can be used for other flowers as well, for removing leaves or thorns. I don’t recommend using them on more delicate stems, but I’ve used knives and other types of rose strippers and these are by far the best! If you’d like a pair, I have some in my online shop!
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out and get in touch here.
