Plant and Flower Care

We are so happy you received a gift of Perrotts Florist flowers; we hope you enjoy them. Here are some tips to ensure the best possible vase life.

Bouquets

Keep the flowers wrapped until you are ready to place in a vase.  We deliver all or flowers with a water source to ensure they travel well.  There is usually enough water to last a day.

Once you are ready, fill a suitable sized vase with room temperature water.  It is not necessary to add a flower preservative or bleach.  We would recommend instead to change the water daily to ensure a long vase life.

Unwrap your flowers.  At this stage leave the green binding secure, this will keep the flowers manageable.

Remove any leaves that will fall below the water line as this encourages bacterial growth.

With sharp secateurs cut each stem on a steep angle.  This creates a larger service area for the flower to drink.

Place the flowers into your chosen vase.  You may find you need to remove extra stem to allow the blooms and foliage to sit right.  At this point you may wish to remove the green binding to allow the flowers to fill the vase as needed.

Place your flowers in a draft free position away from heat or direct sunlight for the best results, change the water daily.

 

Arrangements

Flower arrangements are usually made into florist foam, a permeable material that allows flowers and foliages to maintain a water source.

It is not necessary to remove your flowers from this material.  Your flowers have been designed so you are able to water them every second day with ease.  

Take a quarter cup of water and pour slowly into the centre of the flower arrangement.  It is best to place a finger on to the surface of the florist foam as you pour.  Once the foam is full, water will begin to pool on its surface.  At this point stop pouring.

We would recommend placing your flowers on a non-porous surface to avoid any staining that may occur if your flower arrangement is over watered and leaks.

Spent flowers can be disposed of in the household compost.  Florist foam should be disposed with regular household refuse.

 

Special Mentions

Roses

We love them, especially the full garden varieties that open like roses should!  

On receiving, cut the roses’ stem on a sharp angle remove at least 1cm of the stem.  Place the roses in a suitable vase tall enough to support the stem.

Change the water daily and re-cut as above.  If you find a bloom starting to soften and wilt, re-cut and change the water.

Keep your rose bouquet out of direct sunlight and away from drafts.

Native Flowers

These flowers tend to have woody stems, so it is important to carefully recut and clean the water regularly, if you receive these flowers as a bouquet.

Native flower arrangements, like Wild and Woven should be watered daily.  Check the arrangement for expiring blooms and remove.

Plants

At Perrotts Florist we sell the plants we like to keep in our own homes, low maintenance, easy on water and thrive in a  variety of light conditions.

Generally indoor plants require watering only when the growing medium is dry, most plants do not thrive if allowed to sit in water.  In Brisbane’s summer months watering will be more frequent.  

Most indoor plants require a well-lit position out of direct sun,  and away from heat and air conditioning tracks.

Most of the plants we gift come with specific care instructions.  

Phalaenopsis Orchids

A beautiful, peace inspiring plant with long lasting flowers.  With a little care these plants will flower for at least 4 to 6 weeks.

Phalaenopsis prefer to be watered by allowing water to drain through the growing medium.  They prefer to be allowed to dry out between watering, the plants should not sit in water, they are Epiphytes that take what they need from the atmosphere.

Orchids prefer a stable environment away from drafts or heat tracks.  They do not require direct sun.

When a Phalaenopsis finishes flowering we would recommend removing it from its pot and tying it  to a tree in a  similar fashion as a Staghorn.