WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tammy Pietranton, the owner of Love's Flower Shop in West Palm Beach, offered five tips to keep Valentine's Day flowers looking fresh.
1. Fill water to the top of the vase
If the vase isn’t clear don’t be scared to poke your hands into the vase and see where the water level is at.
2. Use cold refrigerator water
"Always cold refrigerator water. They keep the flowers lasting much longer. We deliver them with cold water, so we want you to continue that," Pietranton said.
3. When the water gets murky, change out the water and cut the stems at an angle with a knife
"Take the flowers out and give them all freshwater (refrigerated) and then at that point you can cut them and put them back in," Pietranton said.
4. Don't overuse flower nutrients
"We prepare our flowers with that preservative in there they drink, so it's all ready to go," Pietranton said. "So, by the time you receive it, they have the nutrients that they need. So, if you put too much and you don't know the scientific evaluation, you can burn your flowers and kill them."
5. Save money by going directly to the florist
"You are overpaying if you do not use a local florist. There are phone room operations that will take orders and then send them to real florists like us," Pietranton said. "They're charging a higher fee and then taking some of our fee and not giving it to us. So, if you want the best bang for your buck. It is to call local."