Fresh-cut flowers are the perfect Valentine’s gift. This time of year most of us do not have any blooms from our personal gardens, so it’s off to the florist. Some of the most popular flowers for gifting are Alstroemeria, Calla lilies, carnations, tulip, and rose.
Put a personal touch on your gift bouquets from storebought flowers with these tips:
• Make fresh cuts before placing in water, as edges of flower stems that have been out of water for a time will have sealed over, preventing water uptake.
• Use knives or pruning shears to make cuts. Scissors will crush stems, clogging up the vascular system and preventing water absorption.
• Cut stems under water. Air bubbles get trapped when stems are cut in the open, preventing water uptake.
• Make new cuts at 45-degree angles, increasing the surface area for water uptake.
• Lower leaves submerged in water harbor bacteria, indicated by cloudy water and foul smell.
• Rehydrate freshly cut stems in lukewarm water as molecules of warm water move faster than cold molecules. After stems and flowers are fully turgid and hydrated, replace with cold water.
• Preservatives can increase floral life of cut flowers. Three ingredients in any preservative are carbohydrates, biocides, and acidifiers in a 1:1:2 ratio added to water: 1 teaspoon sugar as the carbohydrate; teaspoon bleach as biocide to reduce bacteria; 1 teaspoon citric acid, lemon or lime juice or acidifiers to adjust the pH of water that facilitates water uptake.
Once flowers have been prepped you are ready to make the arrangement. Choose narrow vases for fewer flowers and vases with a wide mouth for large bouquets. Start with the largest and most colorful as focal point flowers then fill in with smaller, accent flowers, filling empty spaces with the smallest flowers.
When assembling a flower arrangement, it's always good to start with a layer of greenery. It helps make the vase look more full and softens the look. If your bouquet didn’t come with greenery, you can use sprigs of eucalyptus or fern fronds. Next, add focal point flowers, which are usually the largest and most colorful in the group. Add accent flowers (which are smaller) around the focal point flowers. Then, use more delicate flowers to fill in the empty gaps.
And while you are thinking of gifting someone flowers for Valentine’s Day, why not treat yourself also!
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