How to Store Fresh Flowers So They Last Longer: Tips from Our Cambridge Florists

Knowing how to store fresh flowers is the difference between a bouquet that lasts three days and one that lasts well over a week. The rules are simple: keep them cool, keep them in clean water, and keep them away from fruit and heat. Here’s how our florists store flowers in the shop, and how you can do the same at home.

How to store fresh flowers as soon as they arrive

1. Get them into water quickly. If your flowers arrive wrapped, unwrap them and place them in water within an hour.
2. Recut the stems. Trim 2–3cm off each stem at an angle with sharp scissors or a knife, so they can drink freely.
3. Remove low leaves. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, because they rot and cloud the water.
4. Use a clean vase. Wash it with hot soapy water first. Bacteria in a dirty vase is the biggest cause of early wilting.
5. Add flower food. Use the sachet that comes with your bouquet, mixed into fresh room-temperature water.

Where to store fresh flowers at home

The best place to store fresh flowers is a cool spot out of direct sunlight. Avoid:

• Fruit bowls: ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which makes flowers age faster.
• Heat sources: heaters, sunny windowsills, the top of the fridge and the back of the TV all dry flowers out.
• Draughts: heat pumps and open doors cause petals to drop sooner.

How to store fresh flowers overnight

If you’ve bought flowers the day before an event or special occasion, store them in a bucket of water in the coolest room of the house, such as a laundry or garage. Keep them away from the fridge, which usually holds fruit and vegetables. Flowers in one of our flower boxes already sit in a hidden water container, so simply keep the box cool and top up the water.

How to keep stored flowers fresh for longer

• Change the water every two days and recut the stems each time.
• Remove any flowers that fade, so they don’t shorten the life of the rest.
• Choose flowers that are in season, as they are fresher from the grower. See what’s in season this month.

For flower-by-flower advice, read our full fresh flower care guide.

Fresh flowers from our Cambridge florists

Every bouquet from Expressions is conditioned and stored correctly in our shop before it reaches you, so it starts life in the best possible shape. Browse our bouquets and fresh flowers, with same-day delivery in Cambridge and Hamilton when you order by 12pm, Monday to Friday.