How to keep fresh flowers alive longer
To keep fresh flowers alive longer, unwrap a bouquet as soon as it arrives, cut the stems and stand it in lukewarm water; for a vase, basket or box, add water over the foam every two days and keep it out of the sun. Fresh flowers live from four days to two weeks depending on the kind and the care, and the difference between the two is five minutes every other day. This guide also tells anyone sending flowers which kinds live longest. On Haddiyah, all the flower bouquets and vases are delivered in Riyadh and Jeddah fresh from the vendor the same day.
The bouquet: unwrap it and put it in water
A bouquet arrives wrapped and without water, so the first thing to do is untie it, cut the stems and put it in a vase of lukewarm water within the first hour. Roses open within a day; tulips keep growing in water and lean toward the light, which is normal. See flower bouquets.
The vase: water over the foam only
A vase arrives arranged in wet foam or in water, and needs no rearranging. Every two days add water over the foam until it is soaked, and remove any flower that wilts. If it came in water without foam, change the water as with a bouquet. See flower vases.
Baskets and boxes: the same as a vase
Baskets and boxes come arranged in foam inside a lining that does not leak, so treat them like a vase: water over the foam every two days, away from the sun. Do not move the flowers out into another vase. See baskets and boxes.
Which flowers last longest?
If you want flowers that stay longest with the recipient, the kind matters more than the care. Chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and lilies live two weeks or more; roses and hydrangeas about a week; tulips and baby roses a little less, but they are the most beautiful in the first two days. A vase arranged in foam outlives a bouquet because it never travels without water.
In summer in Riyadh and Jeddah every kind needs more water: a vase in an air-conditioned majlis lasts longer than a bouquet on a table by the window.
Before you send
- In summer flowers get thirsty faster: check the water daily, and keep the vase in the coolest room of the house at night.
- A vase that arrives arranged in foam needs only a top-up of water over the foam every two days, no change.
- A bouquet that arrived wrapped should be unwrapped and put in a vase of water within the first hour, because flowers travel without water.
- To give flowers that last longest, choose chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and lilies; for the most beautiful first day, tulips and roses.
Frequently asked questions
How long do fresh flowers last?
From four days to two weeks depending on the kind: tulips and roses about a week; chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and lilies two weeks or more with water changes.
Should I put flowers in the fridge?
Cold extends their life, but a fridge holds fruit whose gas wilts flowers. The coolest room of the house at night, away from the air conditioner's direct flow, is enough.
The bouquet arrived with the flowers closed. Is that normal?
Yes. Roses and tulips arrive half open so they last longer with you, and they open within a day or two in water.
Does a vase arrive with water?
Yes. A vase arrives arranged with its water or in wet foam, and goes straight into place. See flower vases.
See also flower colour meanings, get-well gift ideas and gift ideas for your mother.
Ready to gift?
Ordering takes two minutes, and the recipient sets the place and the delivery time.
Browse gifts
