You love flowers a lot, and you just have to fill the house with your fresh blooms all summer long. Or, maybe you have a wedding banquet or anniversary party in Oceanside to decorate for, and cut flowers are the only thing keeping everything together. Whatever is driving your obsession for cut flowers, the realization suddenly hits you—flowers don’t live very long. You have to find a way to sustain their existence just long enough to keep everyone happy, but you don’t know how! The sad truth is that time is not on your side, but the Dees’ Nursery & Florist is, and we’ve got expert tips for flowers to last longer! 

Dees Nursery-Oceanside-Long Island -assorted flowers for cuttingGrowing Cut Flowers in Oceanside, NY

We’ll tell you our tips for flowers to last longer in just a moment, but first, here is what we think you should grow to make the very best cut flowers for your next bouquet, vase arrangement, or fancy overpriced shindig. Growing your own, after all, is the best way to enjoy dreamy blooms all season and is also the most economical choice with the smallest carbon footprint. 

  • Dahlias: With large blooms, tall stems, and a variety of colors—dahlias are the best of the best cut flowers worldwide.
  • Lilies: Imagine a patch of Stargazer lilies outside just waiting for you. We definitely think you should grow these!
  • Cosmos: A delicate flower, cosmos light up any garden and bouquet with shades of pink, magenta, and white. 
  • Black-eyed Susan’s: A perfect sun-loving bloom for a cut flower garden, they’re like little rays of sunshine waiting to make everyone smile!
  • Baby’s breath: A long-time favorite addition to bouquets everywhere, try growing these tiny white flowers for your next bunch!
  • Delphinium: Try growing this exquisite blue flower for a regal cut flower arrangement.  
  • Roses: You’ll often see roses in large bouquets and table settings because they simply rock the beauty department. All of those colorful varieties to choose from make it hard to say no to this flower!

 

Dees Nursery-Oceanside-Long Island-How to Keep Your Flowers Fresh-rinsing flower vaseTips to Make Flowers Last Longer

The best part of any special event isn’t the food, the booze, the fancy dresses, or the good music—it’s the flowers! Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty about those tips we promised you for making flowers last longer:

1. Cut stems before they go into water: Whether you cut from your own garden or buy flowers from a florist, always cut the stems before you put them into water. This ensures that fresh water penetrates the stem properly to make them last longer. Cut at a 45° angle with clean shears about 1-2 inches up. 

2. Get rid of leaves: Cut off any leaves on the stems, especially if they would otherwise be left sitting under the water line. Leaves left in water rot and can leave bacteria. Removing leaves allows all energy to go into the bloom and will help them last longer.

3. Keep water fresh: We recommend changing the water every couple of days to keep those petals perky. Use room temperature water, and refresh the flower food as needed. 

4. Remove dead things: When changing your water and flower food, remove dead or dying leaves, petals, or flowers. You want only good, healthy vibes flowing in that vase!

 

Dees Nursery-Oceanside-Long Island-How to Keep Your Flowers Fresh-flower cooler

5. Refrigerate: While it may not be ideal for large displays, placing cut flowers in the fridge every night is a great way to help them last longer, and this is why professional florists keep their blooms in there. Flowers enjoy cooler temperatures and will hold off aging a bit longer this way. If only we could all try that trick!

6. Soda: Yes, we said soda. Turns out flowers really like a good, sweet drink as much as the next guy, so top your water up with ¼ cup of soda. This is supposed to be the second-best trick to make flowers last longer after the refrigerator, so it’s arguably worth a solid try!

If you’re looking for the best ways to make flowers last longer in Oceanside, NY, these tips are sure to make you feel like a pro at home. While you’ll never keep them alive forever, you can gain back some self-esteem if your flowers make it past the one-week mark and everyone is snapping photos of your arrangements for the ‘Gram. 

#happyflowerarranging! 🌼