Getting the Most Out of Your Cut Flowers                            

Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment 

Snow is finally here in Cornish Flat. The cardinals and blue jays are providing a little color to an otherwise unremarkable world. The sun is lurking behind gray clouds, and on a good day we get 9 hours of light. I DO miss the colors of summer. I still keep fresh cut flowers on our table – just not flowers from my garden.

 

 

Alstromeria is a long-lasting inexpensive cut flower.

 

Cut flowers are among modern America’s true bargains. For the price of a bottle of wine – or a few of cups of fancy coffee – you can buy flowers that will grace your table for up to three weeks. But there are some things you should know about getting good table-life for your investment.

 

 

Where you buy your flowers may affect how well they last. A floral shop or a good Food Co-op has trained personnel who trim each stem in the store every other day.  And someone who regularly changes the water to keep to keep it fresh. Chain grocery stores probably count on you buying their flowers before the flowers need to be trimmed or their water changed.

 

 

In either case, you should cut off half to three quarters of an inch from each stem before you put them in a vase, and change the water regularly.  Never let leaves sit in the water. Leaves will rot, promoting growth of bacteria, which will impede water take-up. Ask for the little packets of powder that florists provide, and add that to the water to prolong the life of your flowers. A couple of drops of chlorine bleach may work, too.

 

 

Chrysanthemums

 

Keep your arrangement cool if you can. Putting it near a radiator or wood stove will shorten its life. If you’ve invested in roses or tulips, you may wish to move the vase to the entryway or mudroom at bedtime to keep the flowers extra cool during the night.

 

 

Some flowers are better picks than others if you’re on a budget and can’t afford to buy new flowers every week. Here are my recommendations for good cut flowers:

1. Alstromeria: Each long stem has clusters of 2-inch lily-like blossoms in pinks and reds, with yellow throats. Very long-lived. Great value. Most grocery stores sell them inexpensively.
2. Chrysanthemums: These come in a variety of sizes and colors, from the huge spider mums to little guys. I love the scent of the flowers –it’s not overpowering, but it’s there if you sniff them.
3. Lisianthus: These look like silk flowers to me: perfect white, pink or lavender-colored bell-shaped flowers on long stems. Tough to grow in the garden, they are perfect in a vase – I’ve kept them for up to 3 weeks.
4. Miniature carnations: Each stem has 2-4 blossoms. They come in a variety of colors. Mix dark red “minis” with red roses to make a bouquet of roses look fuller. And even after the roses go to Valhalla, the carnations will still be good!
5. Baby’s breath. Tiny white pompoms are great on their own, or mixed with colorful flowers. I have kept them in a dry vase for months.
6. Statice. I grow these for use as dry flowers, which tells you that they really do last forever – even out of water. They come in blue, purple, pink and white. You can put them in a dry vase and they will last all winter.
7. Spray roses: Instead of a single blossom per stem, these have 2-5 blossoms, giving you more bang for your buck. Will last about a week with proper care.
8. Orchids: While not cheap, orchids can last up to a month. I love dendrobiums, though they are not common, even in floral shops. Cymbidiums have bigger blossoms but also last extremely well. And of course you can buy potted ones, which bloom even longer and can be coaxed to re-bloom next year if you put in the effort to keep them happy.
9. Kangaroo paws: These Australian natives are fuzzy and cute. They come in pinks, reds and browns, and last very well. Not every florist will have them. I grew then in a pot on the deck one year and love them – like Teddy bears on a stem!

It’s possible to change the colors of cut chrysanthemums. Here is what has worked for me:  leave a few stems of a white mum out of water for 12 hours, then cut off 2-3 inches and put it in water with food coloring. Try it with a few stems, to see if you like the results. Put 8 drops of food coloring in a glass with just an inch of water.

 

Baby’s breath is a good filler all or lovely by itself.

 

When I tried it with blue food coloring, my white mums had turned color – but not the true blue I wanted, more of a ghastly greenish blue. Still, if you want to have some fun with your kids, this is an easy way to show how water and dye move up a flower’s stem.

 

Everyone loves to receive the gift of cut flowers, even guys. So treat your loved one – or yourself- to fresh flowers this winter. They’re cheerful, and can make winter less oppressive for gardeners.

 

Henry can be reached at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746 or e-mailed at henry.homeyer@comcast.net.

 

 

 

Filed under Article · Tagged with alstromeria, caring for cut flowers, chrysanthemums, statice

Picking Flowers in Winter

I’m planning to go pick some flowers today. Yes, we got a foot of snow recently and the temperature as write this is well below zero with the wind chill. And no, I am not crazy. I’m going to go pick them out at my local florist, food coop and grocery stores. I will cruise the flowers, picking out things that will brighten the house – and my spirits. Buying flowers does not have to cost a fortune.

Cut flowers are among modern America’s true bargains. For the price of a bottle of wine – or a couple of cups of fancy coffee – you can buy a bouquet of flowers that will grace your table for up to three weeks. But there are some things you should know about getting good table-life for your investment.

Two stems of Ginestra

There are advantages to buying flowers from a florist. Cut flowers need to take up water to stay fresh and healthy. Stems tend to scab over after a day or two, which means they cannot take up replacement water, or not much, so they suffer. A floral shop has trained personnel who trim each stem in the store every other day.  And someone who regularly changes the water to keep to keep it fresh. Chain grocery stores probably count on you buying their flowers before the flowers need to be trimmed or their water changed, but that depends on the store.

And keep your arrangement cool if you can. Putting it near a radiator or wood stove will shorten its life. If you have invested in roses or tulips, you may wish to move the vase to the entryway or mudroom at bedtime to keep the flowers extra cool during the night.

Some flowers are better picks than others if you’re on a budget and can’t afford to buy new flowers every week. Here are my recommendations for pleasing, long-lasting cut flowers:

1. Miniature carnations: Each stem has 2-4 blossoms. They come in a variety of colors. Mix dark red “minis” with red roses to make a bouquet of roses look fuller. And even after the roses go to Valhalla, the carnations will still be good!
2. Chrysanthemums: These come in a variety of sizes and colors, from the huge spider mums to little guys. I love the scent of the flowers –it’s not overpowering, but it’s there if you sniff them.
3. 

   Statice

   Statice: I grow these for use as dry flowers, which tells you that they really do last forever – even out of water. They come in blue, purple, pink and white.

4. Ginestra: Less commonly known, this fragrant flower has tiny blossoms in white, yellow or light pink that are a little like forsythia blossoms. Good as filler.
5. Spray roses: Instead of a single blossom per stem, these have 2-5 blossoms, giving you more bang for your buck. Will last about a week with proper care
6. Alstromeria: Each long stem has clusters of 2-inch lily-like blossoms in pinks and reds, with yellow throats. Very long-lived. Great value.
7. Orchids: While not cheap, orchids can last up to a month. I love dendrobiums, though they are not common, even in floral shops. Cymbidiums have bigger blossoms but also last extremely well. And you can buy a Phalaenopsis orchid in a pot that will keep blooming for a couple of months if you pick one with lots of buds.
8. Kangaroo paws: These Australian natives are fuzzy and cute. They come in pinks, reds and browns, and last very well. Not every florist will have them.
9. 

   Sea Holly

   Sea holly or Eryngium: Light purple or green, these look a bit like thistles. They can be dried or used fresh.

10. Baby’s breath: A single stem can have up to a hundred tiny white pompoms. Great for contrast with other flowers.

So what else do you need to know? Get the store to wrap up your flowers in paper or cellophane. Some are quite fragile when it comes to cold temperatures, so don’t shock them if you can avoid it. And if you have lots of errands to run, buy your flowers last so they spend less time in a cold car.

What about those little packets of powder they give away with flowers? Are they worth the bother? Absolutely, especially if you lead a busy life and don’t change the water every few days. The powder kills mold or fungus that can grow in the water, and clogs up the stems. A teaspoon of bleach in a quart of water will do the same thing.

Cut off three quarters an inch of stem before placing your flowers in a clean, washed vase. And cut back the stems a little every couple of days. Also important is this: pick leaves off the lower stems. Leaves will rot in the water, clogging up the stems.

So yes, cut flowers are an extravagance, but can last well if handled properly. And you’re worth it. It’s still a long time till flowers bloom in our gardens, so treat yourself.

Henry is a Lifetime Master Gardener and a lifelong organic gardener. You may reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net.

Copyright © 2014 Henry Homeyer

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