OMG they're beautiful…now what do I do?


You’ve got your flowers — now the clock is ticking. The next 30 minutes are the most important for their long-term health. Here’s exactly what to do.

⚠️ Do this first: Go straight home. Do not run errands. Do not leave flowers in a hot car. Heat kills flowers within minutes.

What you need before you get home

🌿 Flower Food
Floralife preservative🔪 Floral Knife
Never scissors🪣 Clean Buckets
One per variety ideally💧 HydraQuik
Essential for hydrangeas

All available in our Floral Supplies section.

The 5-step process — do this as soon as you walk in the door

1

Prepare your buckets

Wash with dish soap + a drop of bleach, rinse well. Fill with cool water and add Floralife flower food. Dirty buckets are the #1 reason flowers die early.

2

Unpack & strip

Remove all packaging — cellophane, rubber bands, paper. Pull off any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Submerged foliage rots and fouls the water fast.

3

Recut at 45°

Cut ½ inch off each stem at a 45° angle using a sharp floral knife. Never use scissors — they crush stem cells and block water uptake.

4

Into water immediately

Stems start sealing themselves within seconds of hitting air. Get freshly cut stems into prepared water within 30 seconds. Use lukewarm water for tight buds to encourage opening.

5

Store in a cool room

55–65°F — away from direct sun, heat vents, and fruit (ethylene from fruit ages flowers). Never a standard refrigerator, except gardenias and stephanotis.

Check on them daily

  • Top up water daily — flowers drink heavily when first hydrating
  • Remove guard petals (the outer browning petals on roses — they’re protective, not the real flower)
  • If water turns cloudy: dump it, re-clean the bucket, give stems a fresh cut, refill with clean Floralife water
  • Opening too slowly? Move to a warmer spot. Opening too fast? Move somewhere cooler

Special care by flower type

Some varieties need extra attention. Click your flower for specific care steps:

Hydrangea
Needs HydraQuik dipPeonies
3–5 days to openRoses
Remove guard petalsRanunculus
Hollow stems — gentleLilies
Remove anthers first!Tulips
Keep growing — wrap stems
Go deeper:→ Full Flower Care Guide — specific conditioning for every variety we carry
→ Flower Opening Times — how long your flowers need before your event
→ Wedding Week Timeline — day-by-day schedule through your event
→ Shop Floral Supplies — Floralife, HydraQuik, Crowning Glory, floral knives & more

Questions? Call (503) 445-2967 — Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 10am–3pm.