🌿 Simple Flower Care Guide

💐 Caring for a Bouquet in a Vase

To keep your flowers fresh and beautiful for as long as possible:

For care notes flower by flower — roses, peonies, tulips, hydrangea, boxed flowers, orchids and dried stems — see our full flower care guide.

1. Clean your vase properly

Before placing the bouquet, wash your vase with warm water and soap to remove any bacteria. Dirty vases can shorten the life of your flowers.

2. Use fresh, cool water

Fill the vase with cool tap water, about half to two-thirds full. This gives stems enough water to drink while preventing leaves from sitting in water.

3. Add flower food (if provided)

Mix the flower food sachet into the water completely. It helps nourish the flowers and keeps bacteria away.

4. Remove any leaves below the water line

Leaves in the water will rot and make the water dirty. Carefully remove any greenery that would sit underwater.

5. Cut the stems at an angle

Use a sharp knife or scissors to trim 1–2 cm off the bottom of each stem at a 45° angle. This helps flowers absorb water better. Repeat this every 2 days if possible.

6. Change the water every 1–2 days

Empty the vase, clean it again, and refill with fresh water and new flower food (if available). Always cut the stems again when you do this.

7. Keep the bouquet in a cool spot

Avoid direct sunlight, radiators, heaters, or draughty windows. Ideal temperature is 16–22°C.

If what you want is the numbers rather than the routine — how long each flower actually lasts, and what shortens it — see our vase-life table for fifteen popular blooms.

 🌸 Caring for a Floral Arrangement in Oasis (Flower Foam)

If your flowers are arranged in a floral foam (usually inside a box or basket):

1. Check moisture daily

The floral foam (also called "oasis") should always feel slightly damp to the touch. Use a small cup or bottle to gently pour a few tablespoons of clean water directly into the foam every day.

2. Do not let the foam dry out

Once dry, floral foam can't reabsorb water well. Daily watering is key to keeping the flowers hydrated.

3. Avoid moving or shaking the arrangement

Floral foam is delicate. Try not to move or tilt the box too much to avoid breaking stems inside.

4. Do not spray water on petals

Misting the flowers might seem like a good idea, but it can cause mold or damage to delicate petals.

5. Keep in a cool, shaded place

Avoid hot rooms, windows with strong sunlight, or placing the arrangement near appliances. A cooler room helps flowers last longer.

 🪴 Caring for a Potted Plant

Each plant is unique, but here are the general care steps for most indoor potted plants:

1. Light: bright but indirect

Most indoor plants love bright, indirect light. Place near a window with filtered sunlight. Avoid direct harsh sun — it can burn the leaves.

2. Watering: less is more

• Stick your finger into the soil up to 2–3 cm.

• If it feels dry, it’s time to water.

• If it still feels moist, wait another day or two.

Pour water slowly until you see a few drops come out of the drainage holes. Always empty the saucer afterward — don’t let roots sit in water.

3. Temperature and location

Keep your plant in a room that stays between 18–24°C. Avoid placing near heaters, air conditioning vents, or cold drafts.

4. Feeding (optional but helpful)

From spring to early autumn, you can add a liquid houseplant fertilizer once a month when watering.

5. Repotting

After a few months, if the plant looks crowded or stops growing, consider repotting into a slightly bigger pot with fresh soil.

Questions we are asked

How long should a delivered bouquet last?

We guarantee at least three days from delivery when the care instructions supplied with the bouquet are followed, and most varieties do considerably better than that — a week or more is normal for roses, chrysanthemums and carnations, while peonies and tulips are shorter-lived by nature. If a bouquet wilts inside the three days, send us a photo within that time and we replace it.

How much water should go in the vase?

About half to two-thirds full for most bouquets, and topped up daily. The rule that matters more than the level: no leaves below the waterline. Submerged foliage rots within a day, and that bacteria is what blocks the stems and kills the bouquet — not a shortage of water.

Does sugar in the water keep flowers fresh?

Not on its own. Sugar feeds the flower and also feeds the bacteria that block the stem, which is why sachets of flower food pair it with an acidifier and a biocide. If you have run out of flower food, changing the water every two days and re-cutting the stems does more than any kitchen remedy.

How do I care for flowers that arrived in a box?

Boxed arrangements are built in a foam or water source inside the box and are watered rather than re-cut: pour a little water directly into the base every day or two and keep the box out of direct sun. Do not lift the flowers out to put them in a vase — the stems are cut short for the box and will not reach the water in most vases.

How should I care for roses after a same-day delivery?

Unwrap them as soon as they arrive, cut two centimetres off each stem at a slant under running water, strip the lower leaves and put them straight into a clean vase with flower food. Keep them away from radiators, direct sun and the fruit bowl — ripening fruit gives off ethylene, which ages roses faster than anything else in the room. Re-cut the stems every three days and they will keep opening.

How do I keep a potted plant alive after it arrives?

Water less than you think and light more. Most plants delivered as gifts die of overwatering, not neglect: wait until the top two centimetres of compost are dry, then water until it runs from the bottom and pour away what collects in the saucer. Bright indirect light, no radiator underneath, and a feed once a month in spring and summer covers almost every houseplant we send.

What should I do if the flowers wilt sooner than expected?

Photograph them and message us within three days of delivery and we will replace the bouquet. That is our freshness guarantee, and it is in addition to your statutory rights. Write to info@floritta.uk or on WhatsApp with the order number and the photo.