Rose
Care
Proper
flower care begins with the timing of your delivery. We recommend you
schedule your flowers to arrive 2 to 3 days before the actual event.
For a Friday or Saturday wedding your flowers should be delivered on
the Wednesday before. Normally they will arrive before 10:30 am,
depending on your service area.
Since
your roses will be shipped direct from the farms, you will be
receiving them at the same stage as a flower wholesaler. So they will
probably look different than you are used to purchasing. After they
have been properly hydrated and put into a state of suspended
animation, they ship in dry packs (usually). It
is NORMAL for your flowers to appear sleepy and thirsty on arrival.
With
proper care, they can last up to two weeks or more. A few hours after
hydration, they will perk up and look dramatically different.
Follow
these simple steps for maximum performance and satisfaction:
1.
Carefully unpack rose from box by cutting any straps. Remove
packaging from the stems, but leave any plastic or paper covering the
blooms for the first few hours while the flowers re-hydrate. Also
leave the rubber bands holding the stems together for the first 4
hours or, if you wish, until you are ready to start arranging
flowers. If you want to leave the packaging on the blooms, be
sure to loosen it so they can breathe and not trap condensation.
2. Fill
clean containers with at least 4 inches of fresh, cool water. If you
can get some floral preservative at a flower shop, that will prolong
floral life. As an alternative, you can use some Sprite and a few
drops of unscented bleach (6-8 drops per gallon) to inhibit bacterial
growth.
3. Remove
all leaves that will be under the water level. Remember that foliage
should never be in contact with water. Leaves left in water will tend
to rot and create bacteria that shorten vase life.
4. Cut
stems diagonally about an inch from the base of the stem with sharp
scissors or knife.
5.
Immediately after cutting, place the stems in the prepared water. The
flowers will drink an exceptionally large amount of water upon
arrival. Allow flowers at least 4 hours to hydrate well. Some
flowers take up to 12 hours to hydrate fully.
6. Keep
flowers away from direct sunlight, heat and air vents, television
sets or excessive heat. Generally, the cooler the temperature,
the slower the flowers will open and the longer their life. Avoid
refrigerators or walk-in coolers not specifically designed for
flowers.
8. Re-cut
the stems about one inch and change the water every two or three days
to keep flowers fresh. Clean the vase.
9. Add
water as flowers absorb it, or change it thoroughly.
10.To
maximize the life and beauty of your roses, remove the first layer of
protective guard petals. They are normal,
and are not a sign of damaged or old
flowers. These guard petals protect the blooms while they grow and
were left on to protect your roses during shipping.
11.
Roses are in bunches of 25 stems, in a two-tier system. If you see
only 12 roses at the top of the bunch, don not panic! The others are
directly below.
12. Leave the
plastic or paper wrap around the heads for the first 4-6 hours of
hydration.
13. When you arrange
the roses, and afterward, feel free to remove any petals that are
unsightly. Florists do!
14. If
your rose bends and looks like it is wilted after using the above
steps, remove the rose from vase, fill a small garden tub with water,
and cut 1" off the bottom of rose again and totally submerge
your rose in water. Shake the rose under water until air bubbles come
out of the rose head.
Fresh
Rose Petals
Fresh
rose petals are packed in bags of about 1,000 petals. When you
receive the bags, carefully open one end of the bag, fold a paper
towel in half, and slide it inside the bag between the bag and the
rose petals. Turn the bag over and repeat the process, lining the
inside of the bag with paper towels. The towels will catch any
condensation that forms.
We
recommend storing the fresh rose petals in a refrigerator. Keep your
eye on them since every refrigerator differs in temperature and
humidity. Do not put your rose petals in an area of the refrigerator
prone to freezing. If the fresh rose petals look as if they are
drying out, remove them from the refrigerator and store them in a
cool spot out of sunlight and away from heat (such as in the garage
or basement) in the box they came in.
