Pre-arrangement Preparations

Pre-Arranging Treatment

In order to destroy bacteria from previous plants, scrub plastic buckets and vases with detergent and rinse thoroughly. Rinse again with a mild solution of bleach; one cap full per gallon of water. Bacteria from unclean containers are a primary cause of short-lived arrangements. They clog the stems preventing the life-giving water from reaching the head of the flower and nourishing the complete plant. Plastic storage containers are preferable to metal ones, because the metal can interact negatively with preservatives and shorten plant life.

Fill a clean, plastic storage bucket half full of bottled or purified water and the proper amount of preservatives. It is important to use purified or bottled water, because the chemicals and hard minerals in tap water block the flow of water in the stems. Allow the water to sit for a half hour so trapped air can be released, and so the water can reach room temperature.

Trim off all broken, dying, diseased, wilted or damaged flowers and leaves. This is preparation for arranging as well as for cleaning off bacteria producing plant material. Remove the lower leaves from the stems.

Make the stem ends even, then hold them several inches underwater. Cut 1" from the bottom of the stems. Make sure your cutting tools are sharp. A water droplet will form on the end of the stems and prevent air bubbles from entering and blocking the flow of water when you transfer the flowers to the storage bucket.

Flowers need to hydrate in a preservative solution to replace moisture lost during cutting and handling. Let the flowers stand and balance themselves in the storage bucket. Keep them in a cool, well-ventilated place (never in direct sun) while they drink up the preservative through freshly cut stems. Allow to sit for six hours or so (or overnight) before placing them in their “designer home”. This nourishing treatment step maximizes solution uptake and greatly enhances the life of the flowers.

A florist stores flowers in a special cooler that has a constant temperature, a humidifier and fans to circulate the air and moisture. Home refrigerators are not suitable for storing flowers.

As individual flowers die, remove them to keep the arrangement looking fresh and to direct the energy of the flower to the development of emerging buds. Sometimes, if a flower has wilted, or looks a little “tired”, shorten the stem, remove some of the foliage, and put it in a smaller vase. Avoid getting water on the leaves and flowers.