Like keeping hydrangeas and lilacs from wilting, getting peonies to open up and even getting ranunculus to stand tall. And I thought I would share a few with you.

Fresh Cut Flowers that last

It seems no matter what your favorite type of flower to have in the house is- there is probably some tip or trick to get them to last longer. I have shared several over the years- and those posts are always some of my top one. Which tells me- that you love fresh cut flowers as much as I do. And you probably would love for them to last much longer than they usually do too.

Wild About Flowers

I am absolutely Wild about Flowers all year long. And I started to share the Wild About Flowers series last year- but it kind of dropped off and I apologize about that. But I am picking it up again and planning on sharing all kinds of different inspiration. From inspirations for arrangements and flowers to add to your garden, bespoke arrangements, to tips and tricks and tutorials and more. Next week will be sharing a post about a flower that is in season right now and is inexpensive- those little bursts of sunshine – daffodils.

Fresh Cut Roses

Stop by your grocery store flowers area- and see what they have. Bring all the dozens of those 1/2 priced or even less roses home with you and enjoy them. Sure they won’t last as long as they might had you bought them last week- but often -they will last longer than you think. A tip is to pass on the roses that have ‘smooshy’ blooms- or slippery looking stems. They are already not soaking up that water as they should be and won’t look good for too much longer.

Tip: A tip with roses is to trim off that extra foliage- you want the roses to soak up as much water as possible- pretty leaves are great but I will take pretty rose blooms over them any day.

Fresh Hydrangeas

Those beautiful full hydrangeas that look amazing at the grocery store- but not so amazing after you bring them home. Yeah. We have all been there. And after being burned by wilted hydrangeas one too many times- I found out a few florists secrets. I do one of two things first with hydrangeas. Often times- I don’t cut the stems at all after bringing them home. Hydrangeas are usually cut fairly short and will fit in a vase- and then I don’t have to worry about them wilting. But if I do decide to cut them- I use a spice called Alum. Just cut the stem and dip it right into the alum before placing it in the water. It will help to keep it open and let that water reach the blooms.

More Tips for Keeping Hydrangeas from Wilting Here

Cut Lilacs

Lilacs are some of my favorites- right up there with peonies, ranunculus and garden roses. Lilacs are another flower that will oftentimes wilt after you cut them. So when I have lilacs in the house- I make sure to have a hammer nearby. When you cut the lilac- take your stem and smash it with a hammer. It helps keep it open to allow water to soak up.

More Tips for Keeping Lilacs from Wilting Here

Florist tip for Ranunculus

If you have ever brought ranunculus home- you know the struggle with some of those delicate blooms and stems. They are often broken just under the head -and add that to the ranunculus issue of getting a tad ‘slimy’ for lack of a better word.

Todays tip is one that is easy to do And it works. Simply cut those stems every couple of days- at a 45 degree angle. You don’t have to cut a ton off- just a bit will do to revive the flowers. And when you re-cut the stems- change the water that the ranunculus is in at the same time. It makes a world of difference in keeping them lasting.

Fresh Peonies

Peonies are notorious for not wanting to open sometimes. Maybe it is just a batch of them here or there but anytime a peony doesn’t open is a bummer in my book. I have heard that those pesky ants that you can find on them often are needed to help them open- but not sure if that is just a rumor. Regardless though- when you get a big beautiful bunch of peonies that stall out and instead of opening fully start to turn brown- it is super frustrating. I have found a couple things that help encourage them.

1. Place them in warm water. Not hot. Not too much- but just a bit warmer than you normally would.

2. Place the vase of them in a sunny window. Again- I think it is the warmth that encourages them.

3. Trim their stems after a day or two to encourage them.

Wrap up

The wrap up here- is that with those beautiful spring blooms on my mind- and those beautiful blooms in the house this week- I am going to be playing with flowers, sharing snippets here and there and will be working on some fun things that are coming your way in the next few weeks- stay tuned for more info on how to join in.

AND for more of this simple floral arrangement and all about how to create it – you can find that HERE (including a how to video)

I hope this helps give you some ideas for making those spring blooms last a bit longer. If anyone has any other tips they would like to add- would love for you to leave them in the comments.

Shop the Look

You can also pick up a copy of my book Inspired Gatherings for more florals and ideas for them- (and if you already have my books and enjoyed- don’t forget to leave a review at Amazon to let others know what you thought. You can also find my first book- French Country Cottage here.

Happy Friday Favorites everyone.

(affiliate links)

The post 5 Tips for Fresh Cut Flowers that Last Longer appeared first on French Country Cottage.

Simple, sweet & just 5 minutes to put together. We are talking flowers today- and I am sharing more about this arrangement that I shared last week- along with a few tips for 5 minute garden gathered floral arrangements.

This weeks picks

Garden Roses, Hellebores, Peonies, Foxgloves & Allium & Salvia

1. Start with what is blooming

Whether you have roses or wildflowers in bloom- the first place to start is right outside in your own garden or yard. For this arrangement- I wandered the garden to see just what was ready to clip and bring indoors in the blooms. We had several peonies, garden roses, hellebores and foxgloves.

If you have wildflowers- clip several varieties of those- or if there are lilac or lavender blooms- you can clip those. See what inspires you and start there. For this – the first thing that inspired me were the peonies-and then I added those purple garden roses and Eden roses for a bit more romance.

2. Bring in a little wonky

Something tall or something that trails. Basically something that keeps your arrangement from looking too ‘perfect’ in shape. I love to have that character in florals- and for this-it was the foxglove & salvia arching over to one side and adding a different look that the other.

3. Add Something different

I clipped allium from the garden to tuck into this bouquet. Though- it was allium that had already bloomed. I love the shape of allium and the tiny bit of star blooms this one had left. Instead of leaving it in the garden- I decided to bring it in and use it. This could be a pop of yellow or vibrant blue that mingles with your other blooms- but stands out just a bit.

4. Thinking green

I don’t have any of my go – to store bought greens on hand at the moment- so I looked to see what was ‘green’ in the garden. I found mint coming in beautifully – and all clipped some of our green hellebores. The key here is to remember that adding those greens doesn’t always have to be a specific one for a floral arrangment. There are so many leafy green plants and evergreens that grow on repeat all year long that are perfect for using. Another garden favorite right now are ferns- we have natural ferns popping up that are ideal for adding.

5. Use a cup or small jar as a vase

Sometimes those garden offerings will be much larger than others depending on the time of year and what is in bloom. And sometimes- those blooms have short stems that won’t keep long in a larger arrangement. I clip them anyway- one of my favorite things to use for those dainty short stemmed blooms are mini mason jars or a small coffee cup. This blue and white cup is perfect for these small smooshy purple roses- I don’t mind the roses when they are wilting- these smell so wonderful even after they start wilting and I love the drop of petals and romance they bring.

I hope this helps break down this arrangement & gives you ideas for creating your next gathered florals. Next time- will choose different flowers and greens that are blooming to show how to incorporate some of those herbs and blooming herbs in a bouquet as well.

Happy Wednesday all.

The post 5 Tips for creating a beautiful 5 Minute Garden floral arrangement appeared first on French Country Cottage.