A bouquet keeps drinking after it leaves the studio, so clean water and open stems matter more than any complicated treatment. Start with a thoroughly washed vase and remove every leaf that would sit below the waterline. Submerged foliage breaks down quickly and feeds the bacteria that make water cloudy.
Trim one or two centimetres from each stem at a sharp angle before placing the flowers in water. A clean diagonal cut exposes more surface area and helps the stem drink. Repeat the cut every second day, change the water at the same time, and rinse the vase before refilling it.
Choose a cool place away from direct sun, radiators, draughts, and bowls of ripening fruit. Remove fading blooms as soon as you notice them. These simple habits take only a few minutes and can add several fresh-looking days to your arrangement.
Quick tips
Start clean
Wash the vase and remove all leaves below the waterline.
Recut often
Trim stems diagonally every second day with a sharp, clean tool.
Keep it cool
Avoid direct sunlight, heat sources, draughts, and ripening fruit.
