Making the Most out of your Mixed Bouquet.
Have you ever purchased a mixed bouquet at a farmers market or store, brought it home and plopped it into a vase and... there it sat, on your kitchen table for the next five days before the water began to smell and the flowers began to wilt and you threw it out?
Yeah. Me too. Florists are notoriously bad at keeping fresh flowers in their house.
But I have good news- There is a better way.
One of the questions I get asked most in my floral design classes is how to keep flowers looking fresh, for longer. I totally get it! It is such a great question- and so easy to do once you know the answer.
I also wanted to let you in on a couple "trade secrets" that might make you look at your flowers a little differently and will hopefully help you to get the most out of your $10-30 dollar mixed bouquet.
First off:
Our mixed bouquets from Full Belly Farm are gorgeous. They always showcase the most fresh flowers we grow. Each bouquet changes depending on the day, the week, and the season. We have incredible artists who hand make each bouquet we sell at farmers markets and through local stores. BUT, we also try to make them in 60 seconds or less. That's right, each one. In 60 seconds. OR LESS. And we are not alone. Everyone does that! That means, those mixed bouquets that you purchase (no matter if you are getting them from a store, or farmers market) were made as quick as possible. It really is the only way farmers can afford to put that many beautiful flowers into a bouquet that they can only end up selling for $10-20 dollars.
This is all to say that you, as the buyer, are totally meant to rearrange your flowers when you get home! WAIT, FLORISTSAYWHATTTT?
I'm serious. Take this before and after picture as proof!
But don't worry! After I tell you how to create a longer lasting arrangement, I will also show you a couple ways to quickly rearrange your bouquet so that it fits into the style of your home, and the occasion you want your flowers for.
For this demonstration (because it's the middle of winter and we don't have flowers growing at our farm at the moment) I am using a mixed bouquet from a local grocery store. As you can see, it's nothing fancy! To pick a good bouquet from a store, look for long stems, flowers that have no wilted petals or broken stems, and the flowers look a bit closed still.
If you are getting flowers at a farmers market, most of the flowers you see were picked the day before the market, so you are really getting the freshest option. (and yay for supporting local!) Just make sure you avoid picking up flowers in the heat of the day, and if you have a long way to travel home, bring a bucket of water, or a plastic bag with water for the stems!
When you get your bouquet home, cut all of the stems again. Do it with sharp clipper or scissors at a 90 degree angle and about an inch higher than the pervious cut, then arrange them in your vase with water. If you are trying to get the flowers to open faster, i.e. roses or peonies you want to have open before a party, you can put them into warm water up to their neck, or gently fold them open with your fingers. But for a mixed bouquet average temperature tap water will do.
If you are trying to preserve their vase life, I just recommend making sure that the vase is clean, the water is clean, and you change the water every two days. Even doing this much will vastly increase their vase life.
NOTE: You do not have to remove your whole bouquet from the vase to do this- just place the vase under the faucet until the water runs clear. Or, use this moment to re-arrange your flowers, and remove all dead flowers from the arrangement.
Some people ask if I use any preservatives in the water. Short answer- no. Long answer. I don't feel like it actually does much, and if you are purchasing fresh and locally grown flowers they should last you up to a couple weeks anyway!
For a couple of re-arranging tips, check out these photos for inspiration!
Lastly, don't just throw out your dead flowers! You can do fun things with your flowers after they have wilted! I know it sounds funny, but to really get the most out of you bouquet, you can hang flowers upside down with twine to dry in a warm spot and make a dried flower arrangement or wreath with them at a later date! I will do a blog post later with the best dried flower activities.
I hope this was helpful! Please comment below with any other floral tips you want to know more about, and subscribe to receive blog updates!
Yeah. Me too. Florists are notoriously bad at keeping fresh flowers in their house.
But I have good news- There is a better way.
One of the questions I get asked most in my floral design classes is how to keep flowers looking fresh, for longer. I totally get it! It is such a great question- and so easy to do once you know the answer.
I also wanted to let you in on a couple "trade secrets" that might make you look at your flowers a little differently and will hopefully help you to get the most out of your $10-30 dollar mixed bouquet.
First off:
Our mixed bouquets from Full Belly Farm are gorgeous. They always showcase the most fresh flowers we grow. Each bouquet changes depending on the day, the week, and the season. We have incredible artists who hand make each bouquet we sell at farmers markets and through local stores. BUT, we also try to make them in 60 seconds or less. That's right, each one. In 60 seconds. OR LESS. And we are not alone. Everyone does that! That means, those mixed bouquets that you purchase (no matter if you are getting them from a store, or farmers market) were made as quick as possible. It really is the only way farmers can afford to put that many beautiful flowers into a bouquet that they can only end up selling for $10-20 dollars.
This is all to say that you, as the buyer, are totally meant to rearrange your flowers when you get home! WAIT, FLORISTSAYWHATTTT?
I'm serious. Take this before and after picture as proof!
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
For this demonstration (because it's the middle of winter and we don't have flowers growing at our farm at the moment) I am using a mixed bouquet from a local grocery store. As you can see, it's nothing fancy! To pick a good bouquet from a store, look for long stems, flowers that have no wilted petals or broken stems, and the flowers look a bit closed still.
If you are getting flowers at a farmers market, most of the flowers you see were picked the day before the market, so you are really getting the freshest option. (and yay for supporting local!) Just make sure you avoid picking up flowers in the heat of the day, and if you have a long way to travel home, bring a bucket of water, or a plastic bag with water for the stems!
When you get your bouquet home, cut all of the stems again. Do it with sharp clipper or scissors at a 90 degree angle and about an inch higher than the pervious cut, then arrange them in your vase with water. If you are trying to get the flowers to open faster, i.e. roses or peonies you want to have open before a party, you can put them into warm water up to their neck, or gently fold them open with your fingers. But for a mixed bouquet average temperature tap water will do.
If you are trying to preserve their vase life, I just recommend making sure that the vase is clean, the water is clean, and you change the water every two days. Even doing this much will vastly increase their vase life.
NOTE: You do not have to remove your whole bouquet from the vase to do this- just place the vase under the faucet until the water runs clear. Or, use this moment to re-arrange your flowers, and remove all dead flowers from the arrangement.
Some people ask if I use any preservatives in the water. Short answer- no. Long answer. I don't feel like it actually does much, and if you are purchasing fresh and locally grown flowers they should last you up to a couple weeks anyway!
For a couple of re-arranging tips, check out these photos for inspiration!
 |
| Wild flower look with simple brown bud vases. Place them throughout your house, or clustered together on a bar or coffee table. |
 |
| For a more modern take- try out separating the colors into their own small vase- or going heavy on the green. |
 |
| This arrangement is made out of two mixed bouquets- try using a footed compote vase for a more sophisticated look. |
Lastly, don't just throw out your dead flowers! You can do fun things with your flowers after they have wilted! I know it sounds funny, but to really get the most out of you bouquet, you can hang flowers upside down with twine to dry in a warm spot and make a dried flower arrangement or wreath with them at a later date! I will do a blog post later with the best dried flower activities.
I hope this was helpful! Please comment below with any other floral tips you want to know more about, and subscribe to receive blog updates!
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