For some, flowers are a gift for a special occasion, but an expanding body of research shows that displaying fresh flowers at home or work has a positive impact on many aspects of health and well-being.
To reap the benefits of flowers, don’t limit them to special occasions. Add color and life to your interior with fresh flowers. The benefits fresh flowers give are only available if they live, so we want to equip you with the knowledge of how to care for cut flowers. We want to show you that keeping fresh flowers in your house is a worthwhile endeavor that is easy to do!
Flower Power
Flower Power may have been a slogan in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the power of flowers to positively impact mood, creativity, health and productivity is an idea that coincides with the findings of numerous studies.
The desire to brighten your surroundings with flowers may feel like a natural impulse. However, the impulse goes further than a simple appreciation for beauty. Flowers are a part of nature, and when they are a part of our environment, flowers relieve stress and improve health and mood.
The benefits go beyond the psychological. The results of a study conducted by Rutgers revealed that flowers had a positive impact on the episodic memory of senior citizens. It is theorized that because of how fragrant flowers are and the strong association of smell with memory, flowers can stimulate parts of the brain connected to memory.
Research has also found that flowers can increase feelings of compassion and make a person appear more attractive to the opposite sex, which might be why flowers and romance have often been linked. Even if a relationship is not new, we should still want to maintain the attraction. Fresh flowers placed throughout the environment automatically increase the chance for romance.
Staying Alive, Staying Alive
The first decision you need to make is where to place your bouquet or arrangement. This part is entirely up to you, but there are a few considerations to be aware of as they can affect the longevity of your stems.
A cut flower arrangement lasts the longest if it is placed in a cool location out of direct sunlight. It is also best to keep them away from the heat of the stove and any other heating sources. Another place to avoid is on top of electrical equipment. Sound waves and vibration from televisions, stereos and other electronics can cause flowers to open quicker and decay faster.
Drafts, vents, ceiling fans and open windows should also be avoided as they can cause dehydration. Fruit in the room can also cause your flowers to decay quicker.
If your flowers were already in a vase when purchased or delivered, you can feel comfortable that the container is clean. For a bouquet that you plan to place in a vase, make sure the container is clean before filling with water and placing your stems to avoid any bacteria.
Remove any foliage and bark from the water level down before placing them in the vase. Leaves, bark and other greenery break down faster than the flowers and can cause the rest of the product to deteriorate.
Trim the ends of stems at a 45-degree angle and immediately place them in water. If cut stems are left out, air pockets can form, which will block water from traveling up the stem to nourish your flowers or greenery.
If your bouquet or arrangement has woody, bark-covered stems, cut a crisscross pattern in the bottom of the stem to create four surfaces for better water absorption. Stripping the bark also helps in water absorption.
Make sure your vase is an adequate size because crowded stems wilt at a more rapid rate and create more bacteria in the water.
The water should be changed every other day, and at that time, you can also give the stems another fresh angled cut. Remove any wilted stems, and the rest of your flowers will stay fresh longer.
Trimming the ends at an angle, removing wilted stems, changing the water every other day and choosing the correct placement for your petals will keep your cut flowers fresh and give you more time with your beautiful blooms.
Home Remedies to Keep Out of Your Home
The Internet is full of home remedies purported to make flowers last longer. Some of the more popular ones are aspirin, sugar, bleach, vinegar, coins and soda.
These ideas may sound enticing, but there are drawbacks to all of them that can be detrimental to your arrangements and bouquets. Some of these remedies can cause the stems to get clogged, and the remedies involving sugar and soda can attract fruit flies that will be difficult to remove from your environment once they are in your home.
If you decide to come to us for your floral needs, don’t hesitate to ask about extending the life of your flowers. We are always happy to provide you with the proper solution or powder to add to the vase of water to prevent bacteria, keep flowers fresh in water and thereby increase the life of your flowers.
Using the appropriate product to keep cut flowers fresh, you should be able to get seven to ten days out of your arrangement.
Blending Blooms into Your Rooms
Walking into a room where there are fresh flowers displayed gives people a sense of calm and well-being. The beauty, fragrance and colors of flowers make people want to spend time in that area.
Placing flowers throughout the home gives visitors a positive impression, but more importantly, those who live in the home are happier. The same positive impact is experienced when fresh flowers are placed throughout the workplace. Employees are happier and more productive.
Nature and the natural world should be part of our lives. We should not view nature, seasons or the natural world as separate from us simply because it exists on the other side of our walls and windows. It is easy to feel disconnected from nature and the changing seasons, but it is not healthy to feel that way.
Displaying fresh cut flowers in each room is a little piece of nature that brings with it a little peace. From unexpected places like bathrooms and bedrooms to common areas like living rooms and dining rooms, fresh flowers make people want to stay.
A great way to bring nature to your home and participate in nature and the changing of seasons is by incorporating some seasonal arrangements into your décor. Holiday decorations can lift moods and get you and your friends and loved ones more into the spirit of the season, so placing some seasonal flowers and bouquets throughout your home or workplace will have countless benefits.
With our tips for keeping cut flowers alive, you can easily incorporate fresh flowers into your home décor. The care required to keep your petals healthy is minimal, and we are always willing to give you the tools and information needed to properly care for your new arrangement or bouquet.
If you would like to speak to us about making flowers part of your home décor, our florists at Flowerama New Mexico in Mesquite, NM, would be glad to help you choose the right flowers and give you the tools you need to keep them fresh and beautiful.