Special Care for Cut Flowers

Roses

Roses are probably the flowers people like best as a gift item. They also have a name for not lasting very long. But with the correct care, they last just as long as any other cut flower. With roses it is important to keep the water fresh and to cut their stems on a daily basis as they are great water drinkers. But even when doing this correctly, you might find some that go drooping and let their heads hang in a rather sad way.

But this is no reason to throw them away. If they let their heads hang on you, give them a bath. That might sound odd, but actually it is more or less what you do. After cutting them (again), you fill your bathtub with water until it is about as deep as hand. Place the roses on the water, don’t push them down into it, and let them rest there over night. This enables them to transport enough water back into the top of the stem, and in the morning they will look all crisp again.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are a special case however you look at them. They drink from the top. This means that to make them last you’ll have to spray their flowers with water until wet on a daily basis, in hot rooms even more often. They take up the water through the flowers much better than through the stem. If a hydrangea starts to look a bit sad despite your attention, fill a bucket with water and plunge the flower (not its stem) well under water and let it rest there over night. In the morning it will look all crisp again. Don’t forget to cut the dried end of the stem before putting it back into its place.

Hydrangeas are ideal for decoration, but stay with the naturally coloured ones, the artificial oranges and yellows don’t last due to their treatment. A single hydrangea might replace a small bouquet all on its own when displayed in a narrow vase. And with some care it will last for weeks.

Eucalyptus

Flowering eucalyptus are beautiful, and I usually manage to keep them for 12 weeks and more. When you buy them, you dab the top of all leaves with olive oil which keeps them from going dry on you. You only have to do it once, as they absorb the oil and remain supple after that.

Generally speaking for all wooden stemmed flowers, to which roses, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus all belong, you might want to incise their stems upwards as well to give more access to water. Never smash the ends though, as this gives germs a perfect breeding ground.

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