Flower Care

The following steps can be taken to prolong the life of your farm-direct flowers:

** Please remember that the flowers you have ordered are shipped directly from the flower farms where they are grown. You are receiving the flowers at the same stage at which a wholesaler would receive them – please be aware that this may be several steps earlier than how you are accustomed to purchasing flowers. Flowers ship from our farms out of water in a suspended animation state – this is to get as much life from each bloom as possible. Flowers from our farms will arrive in an early blooming stage and can last up to 2 weeks with proper care. The flowers will appear dramatically different after a few hours of hydration than when they first arrive. Please follow closely the instructions below to make the most of your order:

1. Carefully unpack the flowers upon arrival.
2. Use only clean vases or containers.
3. Some of our customers forego flower food and simply use a generic brand spring water. Spring water will be more pure and clean than water from your tap. (If you choose to use flower food please follow the directions on the flower food container – too much flower food can do more harm than good).
4. Remove all leaves and foliage which will be under the water in the vase. Leaves left underwater will rot and create bacteria.
5. Cut at an angle 1 inch off the base of each flower stem using a sharp knife or scissors to allow for greater water uptake.
6. Place the flowers in the water that you have prepared. Please know that flowers can take up to 12 hours to hydrate properly after shipping.
7. Keep the flowers in a cool and well ventilated spot out of direct sunlight and away from heat. As a general rule of thumb: the cooler the temperature, the slower the flowers will open and the longer they will last. Avoid placing flowers near heating or cooling vents, under ceiling fans and on the tops of televisions or radiators (placing flowers on or near these objects can cause the flower to become dehydrated). Avoid placing flowers close to fruit or vegetables. We do not recommend storing your fresh flowers in refrigerators or walk-in coolers that are not specifically designed for the storing of fresh flowers.
8. Change the water every 2 or 3 days, or whenever the water appears discolored. When you change the water we recommend you clean the vase and cut the stems again.

Special Care Tips

Roses

• Our flower farms pack roses in bunches of 25 stems. The roses are packed in a two-level system. When you remove the rose bunch from the box you will only see 12 or 13 roses - the other 12 or 13 roses are packed directly underneath them.
• Leave the roses packed in bunches and trim about 1 inch off of the bottom of the stems and put them in water. We highly recommend leaving the plastic wrap around the roses in place for about 6 hours while the roses re-hydrate.
• When you arrange the roses, trim the stems again and carefully remove any loose or discolored outer petals. As the rose opens, look for opportunities to refresh the appearance of selected roses by carefully removing additional unsightly petals.

Gerbera Daises

• The Gerbera Daises are sent in trays and come with healthy long stems. Cut the stems about 1 inch up from the bottom and position the tray over a bucket or trash can with water (you will want to have the flowers laying flat in the tray with the stems hanging straight down). Allow the flowers to hydrate for several hours. Hydrating the Gerbera Daisies in this position will allow the stems to firm up tall and straight.

Oriental Lilies & Asiatic Lilies

• As the blooms open, remove the stamens (little pollen sacks) so that they do not stain the flower, furniture, or clothes once fully opened.

Calla Lilies & Mid-sized Calla Lilies

• When the calla lilies arrive, often times all of the calla lilies in a bunch will bend in the same direction. Place the calla lilies in bunches of 10 stems and turn the calla lilies so that the blooms are all bending out in different directions. Secure the bunches with rubber-bands placed at the bottom, in the middle, and up near the top. This simple procedure will ensure that your calla lilies will stand tall and strong when put out for display.

Rose Petals

• With rose petal you want to avoid two things: (1) Moisture and (2) Freezing Temperatures.
• Our rose petals are packed in bags of roughly 1,000 petals. When you receive the bags, carefully open one end of the bag, fold a paper towel in half, and slide it inside the bag between the bag and the rose petals. Flip the bag over and repeat the process (you will essentially be lining the inside of the bag with paper towels). The paper towels will catch any condensation which may form.
• We do recommend storing the rose petals in a refrigerator. When you put them in the refrigerator keep your eye on them as every refrigerator is different in temperature and humidity. Often times there are a spot in the refrigerator that freezes... do not put your rose petals in that area. If the rose petals look as if they are drying out, remove them from the refrigerator and store them in a cool spot out of sunlight and away from heat (such as in the garage or basement) in the box they came in.

Bells of Ireland

• Of all of the flowers that we ship, the Bells of Ireland show dehydration the most. This product may look extremely tired upon arrival, but with proper hydration they will come back beautifully. Leave the Bells of Ireland in bunch form and cut the stems about 1" up from the bottom at an angle. These flowers may take up to 24 hours to re-hydrate properly.