Flower Care

• If you've received flowers and you’re not at home, give them a drink of water as soon as you can, even if that means putting them in a bucket of water. It will keep them fresh until you can get them home. If you need to travel with them, try to ensure the stems are wrapped in something wet like a paper towel covered by a plastic bag (so they don’t drip everywhere).
• Make sure the vase is clean before filling it with water. Scrub it with washing up liquid and warm water.
• Buy flowers in bud, they will last longer and you get to watch them bloom too.
• If daffodils are mixed with other flowers, do NOT recut the daffodils, otherwise you risk the sap from the daffs poisoning the other blooms.
• Remove stamens from lilies as the pollen can stain not only the petals but also clothes and soft furnishings if they drop. It also makes the flowers last longer. Don’t cut them just use a paper towel to pull them off.
• Cut the stems (don’t break them) every couple of days, roughly 1” from the bottom, cutting at an angle to allow the flower to soak up more water. Remove all excess greenery from the stem.
• Most cut flowers like to be kept somewhere between 18 – 22°c, away from direct light, heat or cool vents, so try to avoid putting them near radiators or air conditioners.
• If you want to cut flowers from your garden be sure to do it in the morning as this is when they are stored with food and are at their most fragrant.
• Don’t put fresh flowers near ripening fruit. The fruit releases a gas, which can age the flowers prematurely.
• Remove any dead flowers and don’t let foliage fall below the water line as this can create bacteria and shorten the life of the flowers.
• Keep the water fresh, replacing it every couple of days. Be sure to use a good quality flower food.
• To make the bouquet look twice as beautiful place it in front of a mirror. You can also add marbles or glass beads to the bottom of the vase to catch the light and hide the stems.

Frequently asked questions

• Do you water flowers in Oasis foam?

Yes, you should use a jug to keep the Oasis floral foam damp so that it retains water and keeps the stems of the flowers hydrated in the floral arrangement. Once flowers are cut they need fresh and plentiful water to stay fresh and vibrant. The key to keeping flowers in an arrangement is to make sure the foam stays moist.

• Can you reuse Oasis foam?

Oasis foam should not be reused for the following reasons: Once it has dried it will not absorb water correctly, this may leave air pockets and will also promote bacteria. Try not to reposition flowers once the have been arranged in oasis. This just creates holes in the oasis foam, weakening it and the stem of the flower ends up with compacted oasis in it, resulting in the stem not taking up water.

• How long does floral foam stay wet?

Continue to add water onto the oasis floral foam once daily so that the foam is kept wet or at least moist.

• How often should you change flower water?

Change the water in the vase as a minimum, every two days (every day if you can), recut the stems at an angle and add a small portion of your supplied flower food sachet. Be sure to fully replace the water instead of just adding water to the vase. The original water will contain bacteria that hinders the water uptake of fresh cut stems.