We can never rely on the weather in Ireland, so this recent warm weather has been a pleasant surprise. We’re making the most of the good weather, sunning ourselves in the garden and topping up our tan. Not everyone enjoys warm weather however and although our florists love it, our flowers do not! Treat your flowers well and they will last as long as possible, brightening your home and reminding you of the person who sent this special delivery every time you see them.
Sun and Flowers
Many plants and flowers love the sun. It provides vitamins and sunlight that are essential to their survival. However, once you cut a flower, the sun becomes its enemy. Flowers do not enjoy extreme heat and it can severely impact the life of a cut flower bouquet if the correct care is not taken. While exposure to indirect sunlight and brightness is good for your flowers, prolonged exposure to sunlight will cause your cut flowers to dry out more quickly. The heat from the sunlight can lead to shrivelling, wilting, or drooping buds. The water in your vase evaporates quicker, leading to dehydration if you don’t refill quickly enough. If you don’t look after your flowers, they will lose their vibrancy and die within a couple of days.
Care of Flowers
The most important thing to do to care for cut flowers and bouquets is to make sure they are well- fed. Water is food for flowers and unlike plants, you cannot over-water them. Water is absorbed from the stem of the bloom, working by osmosis to pull essential moisture into the stem to feed all parts of the plant allowing it to flourish. When a plant is in direct sunlight the water in the vase, stem and petals is evaporated too quickly to nourish the flower. Extreme heat is not good for a bouquet. Keep your arrangement in a moderately cool, semi-sheltered place away from windows and top up the water regularly, refreshing it entirely if there is any debris in the vase.
Front Door Wreaths
It’s popular these days to decorate the outside of your home with fresh flowers. Wreaths are a year- round addition to our front doors, not something exclusively reserved for Christmas anymore. Beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers welcome guests to our homes and mark the season, but how do these flowers survive extreme temperatures? One of the best ways to keep it fresh is to mist it lightly with water. Fill a spray bottle and adjust the spray to a fine mist which will coat your wreath in droplets that can nourish the flowers and keep them from drying out. Take it in when the weather is really hot and cover it at night to try to keep the temperature consistent.
The key to keeping flowers fresh in the summer is to buy them as fresh as possible. Buying your bouquet from a professional, reputable florist not only supports a small business, it usually guarantees freshness and longevity. We’d be happy to share tips and tricks for flower care. Call into our florist in Blanchardstown for a chat or to pick up a fresh flower arrangement.
