If you are discouraged that your fresh flowers seem to be wilting quickly and not opening all the way, check out this quick resource to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep your fresh flowers looking beautiful for as long as possible. The conditioning process florists use is a bit longer and more detailed but this quick guide will be super helpful to those arranging flowers at home. You can also check out this easy to reference reel over on Instagram!
Keep your flowers fresh by paying attention to these six factors.
Harvest time
If you are picking the flowers from your own garden or foraging, this needs to be done in the morning or evening when the flowers are most hydrated.
Age
Flowers should be freshly opened. The preferable stage of opening will differ according to the variety, but generally it should be just beginning to open and look and smell fresh.
Temperature
Flowers should be kept cool. The warmer they are, the faster they will age.
Light
Fresh flowers will last longer in dark areas away from bright sunlight.
Water
Water should be checked regularly and kept clean and fresh.
Cleanliness
Clippers, vase, stems, and water should all be kept as clean as possible!
Download our full guide to keeping flowers fresh, right here!
I had the pleasure of doing an interview over at Katy Elliott: Home, Garden, and Craft in New England. We also held a book event last Saturday to celebrate the publication of Field, Flower, Vase : Arranging and Crafting with Seasonal and Wild Blooms. and Katy’s relaunched blog. Thank you to everyone who attended the event on Saturday! You can check out my interview and a look at the book right here.
Photo copyright Chelsea Fuss. Reprinted with permission from Abrams Books. Please do not use without written permission.
Where do you start once you know you are interested in working with flowers? Maybe you are just interested in adding more floral joy to your home or maybe you are thinking about a career with flowers. Here are a few ways to get started working with flowers.
-Start learning ID. Peruse flower market catalogs, seed catalogs, and encyclopedias to understand the flower ID. Botanical drawings are the best way to ID a flower but it also helps to see photos and to have real life interaction with the varieties as well. In our Floral Foundations coursework, we have 6 page ID guides for 50 flowers to get you started.
-Peruse your local farmer’s market, flower shops, and landscape and start noticing what is available seasons to season. Begin getting familiar with the flowers, the shop owners, and farmers.
-Start making one flower arrangement a week so that you can get used to working with flowers as a medium.
-Read all the books you can! I will do a blog post soon about some of my favorites! My book is great for the novice flower lover as it starts with the basics!
Let me know any questions you might have about getting started with flowers by sending me a DM on Instagram or contacting me here.
You can check out more free floral resources and information right here:
Sourcing, edible flower, and floral career free packets
Tutorials and articles
Video tutorials
