FLOWER CARE

TIPS TO PRESERVE FRESH CUT FLOWERS

At Flowers and Greens, we have fresh flowers you can purchase in our shop for home decorations. We also make fresh and beautifully arranged cut flowers ready for pick up or delivery.

In any case, you would want those flowers to last for days to preserve and feel the warmth and good vibes they bring to you.

Here are some tips to preserve your favorite cut flowers:

• Use a thoroughly cleaned vase. Bacteria that live in unclean containers is one of the major reasons plants easily wither in them.
• Remove leaves from the stem which you will soak in the water. Extra foliage in the water may cause production of bacteria in the water which could kill the flowers.
• Use lukewarm water in your vase. Cold water may produce bubbles in the stem of your flowers because it has high oxygen content. These bubbles prevent water from going up to the flower through the stem. This is an exemption for tulips and daffodils though, for they prefer to be placed in cold water.
• Put ¼ teaspoon sugar in the water. Sugar helps nourish the flowers, therefore maintaining its vitality and life.
• Do not expose your flowers in heat or direct sunlight.
• Place your vase flowers away from fruits. The latter releases ethylene in the air that could cause your flowers to easily wither.
• Remove dried leaves or dead blooms. This is to prevent the bacteria from damaging the healthy parts.

When taken cared of properly, cut flowers in vase can last up to:

Lily: 8-10 days
Tulip: 7 days
Rose:  4-7 days
Eucalyptus: 21 days
Sunflower: 7- 10- days
Peonies: 5- 7 days
Gypsophila: 7 days

TOP TIPS FOR CARING OF INDOOR PLANTS

There are three common reasons people put indoor plants in their homes and offices:

1. For interior design. Plants indoor never fail to give a relaxing ambience and a break to the monotonous and plain walls.
2. For health reasons. To purify the air, people place plants in corners of the house or on desks at offices.
3. For the sheer love of them. We just love flowers and greens so much we want to bring the garden inside.

Whatever the reason, we all owe these wonderful creatures the love and care they deserve for serving their purpose.

So here are the top tips from our flower shop in taking care of your indoor plants.

• Know your plant. It’s not enough that you know your plants need water and sunlight- sometimes, it’s even dangerous for them. Know how much and how often you should be watering them, and how much sunlight they need to stay healthy.
• Do not underwater or overwater. It falls back to number 1. But how do you know you are underwatering or overwatering? If you notice translucent leaves, falling or yellowing of leaves, or slow growth, you may not be putting enough water to it. On the other hand, if you see mold on the surface of the soil, standing water in the bottom of the pot, leaves with rotten portions, and stinky roots, you know you are watering it too much. Remember, soil in pot should be moist, NOT wet.
• Always choose containers or pots with drainage holes. You want your plants to stand in water, NOT soak in it. Make sure the drainage is not clogged, so you check it from time to time.
• Choose the ideal place to put your plants for sunlight. Flowering plants require moderate light, so you don’t want to place them right at your window for there could be too much light in there in a particular time of the day. Foliage plants on the other hands have categories. Some require low light, moderate light, and high light. For example, a cactus do well with bright light. This also fall back to knowing your plants’ needs.
• The use of fertilizer is optional. If you have low maintenance or easy care plants like snake plants and succulents, you can do well with proper watering and supply of light. However, for some requiring higher maintenance like flowering plants, fertilizer may be needed. When a plant wilted, supply with the right amount of water. The proper time to put fertilizer in it is after it recovers.

Taking care of your indoor plants is easier than you think. You only have to know more about them and be attentive to their needs.