The bouquet after day one: how to care for the flowers you received

You've received a bouquet and, for a few moments, everything stops around it. You look for a place for it on the table, re-read the card, bring a flower closer to the light. Care naturally starts here: with a little attention, no complicated ritual.

Before you put it in a vase

Get a clean vase ready. Remove any leaves that would sit below the water and trim the ends of the stems slightly with a clean, sharp tool. If the bouquet comes with flower food, follow the dose on the sachet.

Choose a vase that supports the bouquet without crowding the stems. The wrapping is part of the moment of giving; to last, the flowers need a suitable container. If you're not sure which elements you can remove without changing the shape of the arrangement, ask the florist before you cut the tie.

Find it a good spot

Keep the flowers somewhere cool, away from radiators and direct sun. Check the water every day, and every few days change it and refresh the cut on the stems. Remove any damaged flowers and leaves.

These steps are also recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society in its guide to cut flowers. They are a starting point; any instructions you receive for the species in your bouquet come first.

See the bouquet as a living composition

The flowers in a mixed bouquet don't all change at the same pace. You don't have to give up the whole arrangement when a single flower has run its course. You can rearrange the remaining stems in a smaller vase or split the bouquet between two containers.

One flower on the desk and a few on the dinner table keep the original gesture close. The shape changes, but the joy doesn't depend on perfectly preserving how it looked on the first day.

When you give flowers, think about what comes next

If the recipient gets the bouquet at the office or while travelling, it's worth asking which option suits the situation. A carefully chosen gift also takes into account where it will end up.

Discover the Boutique cu Flori bouquets and ask for care advice for the arrangement you choose.