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Flower Vases
There are many flower vases on the market today - probably more vases than there are different
kinds of flowers. It doesn't matter what kind of vase you use - if it's not the right kind or if it's
not clean =, it will be all for nothing. It will strangle the life right out of your beautiful bouquet.
Bacterial growth is the killer with cut flowers. It creates a physical blockage inside the stems and
stops the flowers from taking in the water that they so desperately need. Washing your vase in
disinfectant or an anti bacterial cleaning solution can solve this problem. You can also use
bleach. To do this just pour the bleach in your vase, pour off the excess and let the vase dry. This
will also kill any bacteria that may be lurking there, but with this method you have to be careful
with the kind of flowers you're using.
If your bouquet comes from a florist in a vase already, then you don't have to worry about this
until the water starts turning cloudy and then all you have to do is rinse the vase and change the
water. It also helps to cut the stems back about an inch when changing the water and this should
be done with your flowers under water before you cut. This prevents air from getting trapped in
the stems and clogging them up, preventing them from absorbing the water.
When working with flowers, be sure you have selected the proper vase for your arrangement.
Flowers should have adequate support without having to squeeze them into the vase. All of the
stems should be immersed in the water completely, preferably up to half their length. All leaves
should be removed if they are going to be under the water line. Fit the bouquet to the vase. If you
have long flimsy stems, then it stands to reason you will need a long tall vase to accommodate
them. If at all possible try to avoid using metal vases. They can react with the preservative that
comes from the florist and ruin your bouquet. Maybe a good idea, if metal is your favorite, is to
put the flowers in another vase and place it inside the metal container.
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