Care

For years I rinsed vases with water and called it clean. Once I saw what was actually built up inside one, my whole routine between bunches changed.

I’ve tried most of the tips people swear by for making cut flowers last longer. Some genuinely helped. A good number of them, in my own kitchen, changed nothing at all.

A few days away used to mean coming home to a ruined vase. Here’s what I actually do now before I leave, and what I’ve learned isn’t worth bothering with.

When a bunch starts going, I don’t throw it out right away. I’ve found that moving it somewhere new buys another day or two more often than I expected.

Some stems look sturdy at the shop and fall apart in a day. Here is what I’ve noticed about the flowers that need gentler treatment than their appearance suggests.

I used to top up the vase and call it done. Once I started changing the water fully instead of just refilling it, the same bunches lasted noticeably longer.