If floral design and flower styling is your idea of a good time but your bouquets at home never last long, fear not! TLC Interiors’s queen of blooms, florist Amelia Holland, is here to help.
Here the talented lady behind Beautiful Blooms Florist shares her ultimate flower survival guide – and there’s some very nifty ideas here that’ll have you rocking amazing floral design at home.
The Ultimate Flower Survival Guide
How to Extend the Life of your Flowers
Maintenance is key when it comes to extending the life of your flowers, Amelia says. And it all starts with changing water regularly – daily if possible.
“While you are changing the water, trim approximately 2cm of stem diagonally to create a fresh drinking surface for the stem,” Amelia explains, “and don’t forget to remove any leaves that will be underwater as these will start breaking down and polluting the water”.
Avoid Placing Flowers in warm environments
A sun-drenched room might be a gorgeous spot to read in, but it’s not the ideal position for your flowers.
“To help keep your flowers looking fresh for as long as possible, keep them in a cool spot away from direct sunlight, heat and draughts – including air conditioners – which can dry out flowers really fast”.
Keeping Bad Smells at Bay
Do you find that slime builds up inside the vase you’re using over time, causing your blooms to smell horrendous? Amelia looks to bleach to solve this common problem.
“A drop of bleach can be added to the water to kill bacteria and keep that nasty slime from the inside of your vase walls,” she explains. “It won’t be as effective as changing fresh water daily and scrubbing down the sides of the vase by hand, though”.
Fruit and Flowers are not Friends
A good fruit bowl makes for a beautiful display, but it’s best kept away from a floral design vignette.
“Don’t store your flowers next to your fruit, as fruit produces ethylene gas which will speed up the ageing process of your precious blooms,” Amelia says, “That’s another reason not to buy your flowers from a fruit shop or service station where these gases are abundant”.
Flowers in the Fridge? Not the best idea
“Florist fridges are much warmer than kitchen fridges so please don’t put your precious flower in the fridge at home or office,” Amelia pleads. “You can put your flowers somewhere cooler like a bathroom at night if your house or office is heated to keep them cool. Also, not all flowers like the cold. Some flowers, like orchids and anthuriums we never cool below room temperature”.
What Flowers are Trending right now
Amelia explains that going into Autumn, rich oranges and burgundy tones are going to be bang on-trend in the flower world.
Outside of these hues, vases full of gorgeous leaves are also a great way to bring the greenery inside.
“It’s fun having a vase of green leaves one week, orange the next followed by a rich burgundy the week after, all cut from the same tree,” she says.
Getting Creative with Floral Design
A bonus idea if you’re looking to get crafty is to flip the flowers on their head.
“For a fun party idea you can hang bulb flowers like the tulips and hyacinth upside down, to create a gorgeous statement piece under door frames or above dining tables”.
Follow Amelia’s adventures over on her Instagram page here.
Did you find these flowers styling ideas and tips useful? Share your thoughts below, along with additional ideas you have for rocking florals at home!
All images in this post come courtesy of Amelia Holland / Beautiful Blooms
Love this article – practical and helpful!!!. I definitely learnt some new hot tips for my flowers ….. didn’t know that fruit near flowers isn’t a great idea for their health so thanks Amelia. Love your input