What You Need to Know

Working with fresh cut flowers to create bouquets and arrangements, the first thoughts typically are completely focused on the aesthetics. We are looking for that perfect blend of colors, a certain shade or hue to match the client's event theme. Maybe we are trying to create a stunning visual impact layering textures or building structures. Probably the furthest thing from your mind is the vase life of all the varieties you might be mixing together to create your design, but we caution you that it shouldn't be.

When creating your recipes, you should carefully consider vase life. Imagine receiving a beautiful, artfully arranged bouquet or arrangement of flowers only to have part or most of the flowers withering or dead a couple of days later. How disappointed would you be? Your customers will feel the same way and will likely not return to you for their next occasion.

What You Need to Know

The do's and don'ts of creating mixed bouquets and arrangements are simple, we recommend the following when planning your designs:

Do

• Know your varieties! Being familiar with the vase life of different varieties will help you better select which varieties can be mixed together successfully. Choose flowers to combine with similar vase life range.
• Be sure all flowers used have received correct hydration and nourishment before getting started. Including flowers that haven't received the right care and handling will spoil the bunch no matter what.

Don't

• Mix varieties without knowing well how they might affect each other. Did you know some flowers when mixed can be toxic to the others such as daffodils for instance?
• Don't mix varieties that don't have similar vase life. An example, you wouldn't mix Anemones or iris and Chrysanthemums since their vase life is extremely different. It might be tempting, but the end result could really be damaging to your shop's reputation for quality.

Have questions or want more information? FloraLife is here for you! Contact our team of experts today, we are ready and available to assist you in all things flowers!