One of the best things about locally grown flowers is that they are just that — local! They were grown right down the road in your community without a long travel stint and therefore you’re getting flowers that are FRESH.

At our farm, we harvest flowers at the ideal stage in order to give you the longest vase life possible. This might mean some flowers (like peonies) aren’t even open when you get them… but this also means you get to enjoy them for the duration of their bloom lifetime.

If you want to get the most out of your flowers, here are a few simple tips and tricks to make sure that your flowers stay fresh for as long as possible.

1. Give your flowers a fresh trim with a sharp (and clean!) pair of scissors when you get them home. You don’t need to take much off the stem, a minimum of a 1/2 inch or so will do the trick!

2. Always start with a clean vase. Give it a good wash with hot water and soap in order to make sure any bacteria from your last bouquet isn’t still present.

3. Put a few drops of household bleach in the water to keep it clear. Some flowers (like yarrow and zinnias) are what we consider “dirty” flowers, and they can often muck up the water with bacteria. A couple drops of bleach helps to keep bacteria at bay.

4. Add flower food to your water. Flower food can give blooms an extra jolt of nutrients while also eliminating bacteria… and the best part is that it’s is simple to make at home with a few staple items. You can mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4-tablespoon bleach together with 1 quart lukewarm water (with this recipe, you don’t need to add any extra bleach to the water). You can also mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar together with 1 quart lukewarm water. Both recipes will work! Keep in mind a few flowers don’t actually need (or like) flower food, which include zinnias and sunflowers.

5. Keep your flowers away from bright direct light and heat sources. The extreme heat can create an unfavorable environment for your blooms and actually age them a bit quicker. Instead, find a nice cool spot for the flowers to call home.

6. Replenish the water often and replace it entirely every 2-3 days. A hydrated flower is a happy flower. They will continue to hydrate when you get them home, so make sure you’re giving them fresh water.

7. Avoid placing your flowers next to ripening fruits or veggies (especially tomatoes, bananas and apples). All fruits produce a gaseous hormone known as ethylene, which helps their ripening process. While ripening fruit might be ideal, ripening flowers only means they’ll age faster. Keeping your blooms away from fruit is a good rule of thumb.

8. ENJOY THEM! This is the most important, of course!

That’s it… easy peasy. Take a few extra moments to tend to your flowers with these simple tips and watch them thrive!