Flower Care 101: How to make your Farmgirl bouquet last (and last and last….)

Hey there!

Team Farmgirl here with some fresh tips on how to care for your flowers from the moment they arrive at your doorstep! Our signature burlap-wrapped bouquets, vase arrangements, and other blooms are designed to make it easy for you to go from box-to-table in two shakes. Here's what you'll need and how to get started:

Prep Your Work Area: Find a small work area (we like a kitchen counter or craft table) which can be any flat, cleared surface with space that’s easy to clean. If you don’t have one, our pro-tip on a budget is to grab a sheet of plywood (or if you want to splurge - a butcher block top for under $200) at your neighborhood hardware store and a couple of saw horses that you can stash in your garage or storage space when not using.

Grab The Tools of the Trade: Grab a pair of scissors or garden shears (Chikamasa Clippers are our fave and available as an add-on on our website or on Amazon!), a clean vase or vessel, and some fresh, cool water.

Choose Your Vase: If you didn't order a vase with your arrangement, find one from your personal collection. Don’t have one? No problem, just get creative! Glass jars, glassware, pitchers, or just about any other kitchen item that holds water can make a great vase. The trick is picking a vessel that fits how many flowers you have. With our signature burlap wrapped bouquets, a small fits a 3” opening well, medium fits a 4” opening, large fits a 5” and XL fits a 6-7” opening. To maintain the design and shape of your bouquet, try keeping it a bit snug in your vase (so you’ll probably want to pick one that’s smaller than you think!). The other pro-tip is to make sure your vase or vessel is spick and span clean! If there’s bacteria in your vase it will cause your flowers to expire prematurely. So, when in doubt, just give it a quick scrub.

Prep Your Vase With Some H2O: Fill your vase 1/2 - 3/4 full with cool tap water. Don't forget to release the tape or twine holding your arrangement together to give your stems some breathing room!

Unwrap Your Bouquet With Care: Remove all the trimmings and trappings, including the twine or tape holding your bouquet's design in place. Our burlap is 100% compostable (hint hint!) or can be upcycled and crafted into something new! As for the rest of the packaging that came with your arrangement, the rest can be recycled.

Trim and Hydrate: Give your stems a quick trim at a 45˚ angle, so the lowest flower sits 1/2" above the lip of your vase. This helps the flowers hydrate efficiently by giving the stems more surface area to drink from, and also to ensure they don’t sit flat on the bottom of the vase (preventing them from being able to get enough water). Also be sure to remove any foliage that may fall below the waterline to avoid getting bacteria in the vase water. See a trend here? Your flowers want as much clean, fresh water as possible, just like us! 

Give Some Air: Gently fluff or run your fingers between the bits and blooms to give each element some breathing (and blooming) room. Psst, don't forget to remove the tape or twine holding your arrangement together to be sure the stems can get allll the water it needs. 

Patience is Key: Your bouquet needs a little time to hydrate and look its best. After all, it just made quite a journey coming from our fulfillment centers to you!  A little TLC goes a long way. Trust us, it’s worth the wait!

Longevity Tips: To get the most out of your Farmgirl arrangement, change your water daily, avoid excess heat and light, avoid overcrowding your vase, and remove dead or dying flowers to extend the life of your arrangement. One of our favorite hacks is putting our bouquets outside overnight to keep it cool which helps extend the life of your flowers! 

Unboxed your arrangement and ready to show it off? Tag us on instagram @farmgirlflowers and use #FGFlove so we can see your blooms!

Happy arranging!

xx,

Team Farmgirl