If you watch the show, you’ll notice that I’m always using fresh flowers and greenery! I don’t have one favorite flower, it’s more of a style of arrangement I love. I’m not a big fan of hyper arranged floral, I like to keep it simple :) I also love the way greenery looks by itself! One of my favorite styles that I use in my own house is using only one type of flower in an arrangement!

TIPS FROM ANGELA AT Bel Fiore Farm & Floral  ON HOW TO MAKE YOUR FLOWERS LIVE LONGER

When you get your bouquet home:
1. Rinse the stems
2. Cut a 1/8″ – 1/4″ off the bottom with sharp scissors
3. Remove any foliage / leaves that will be below the water line.
4. Place in cool water in a vase. Don’t arrange them yet. Let them drink up some water and get hydrated.
After letting your flowers rest, go ahead and arrange them in your vase. You may have received flower food – go ahead and use that. But the key – the biggest secret to keeping your flowers fresh requires a little bit of effort for big reward.
Are you ready?
It’s simple – keep your vase clean.  That’s it. 
Clean water and a clean vase cuts down on bacteria. Once a flower is cut, it’s on it’s way to it’s death – and that cut is susceptible to bacteria as it ages.  I advise my customers to do the following every other day:
1. Re-rinse the stems. Cut again if needed.
2. Place in another vase of water while you wash the original vase with hot soapy water.
3. Place the waters back into the vase with fresh cool water.
That’s it.
Clean water and a clean vase = happy flowers.
Other key tips:
– Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight if possible.
– Some flowers will age faster than others – that’s ok! If something looks spent, pluck it out of the arrangement so as to cut down on bacteria.
– Don’t place your flowers near fruit. Fruit gives off ethylene which will age flowers faster. So don’t place those pretty flowers next to your fruit basket or veggies!  If you want to read more on the subject of ethylene – read this.
– When at all possible buy local or American grown blooms! They will be fresher, last longer, and you will be supporting an American farmer like us!  Look for American grown at Farmer markets, your grocery store or local florist. Ask for American grown! Check out SlowFlowers.org or LocalFlowers.org to find a grower or florist who supports America grown flower farmers near you.
With a little bit of effort, you can keep your flowers looking their best longer and enjoy the beauty of the blooms!

Here are some pretty hysterical wives tales for making your flowers last longer, try to read this without laughing!

  1. Singing or talking to the plants will help them grow faster!
  2. Putting a copper penny in the bottom of your vase.
  3. Hydrangeas should have their stems burned before you put them in water.
  4. Putting daffodils in a vase with other flowers will kill the other flowers.
  5. Spraying your flowers with hairspray. (Really?!)
  6. Hydrangeas should have the entire flowerhead dunked in water.

What do you think of these old wives tales?!

Take a look at some of my favorite arrangements used throughout season 2 below :)

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

I love this flower because it adds so much color and texture to a space!

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Flowers:  Bel Fiore Farm And Floral

Flowers:  Bel Fiore Farm And Floral

Flowers:  Bel Fiore Farm And Floral

Flowers:  Bel Fiore Farm And Floral

If you look closely, in the background is the mother in laws tongue. This is the plant for people who kill plants! It will not die! They live in any kind of light, they are practically impossible to kill!

Flowers:  Bel Fiore Farm And Floral

I think it’s important to note that you don’t always need a big arrangement, a smaller one can change a space just as much as a large one can :) Adding flowers to a house can change it from styled well to lived well. Thanks for stopping by the blog! Have an amazing day everyone!

-Tamara

 

About Angela Turner: Angela and her husband Carl are proud owners of Bel Fiore Farm & Floral, a cut flower farm and floral design studio. Located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, the small, but mighty cut flower operation is dedicated to bringing high quality locally grown blooms to the Kansas City market using sustainable and organic methods. Bel Fiore specializes in market bouquets, events, & custom orders sold direct to consumer in addition to supplying blooms to local florists.

“Bel Fiore’ is a nod to Angela’s Italian heritage meaning “beautiful flower.”