How to Keep a Bouquet of Flowers Fresh

You’ve just brought a bouquet home and for a moment the whole room feels brighter. The colours feel richer, the scent softer, and there’s that quiet hope that this arrangement will last longer than the last one. With a little care and a few thoughtful habits, it absolutely can.

We’ve spent decades working closely with flowers, and we know that keeping them fresh isn’t about complicated techniques or specialist knowledge. It’s about understanding what flowers need once they leave the shop and giving them the right conditions to thrive at home.

Start with a clean vase and fresh water

Before the flowers even touch the water, the vase matters more than most people expect. A vase that looks clean can still hold bacteria, which shortens the life of a bouquet surprisingly quickly.

Wash the vase thoroughly using hot water and washing up liquid, then rinse well. Fill it around two thirds full with fresh water. Lukewarm water works well for most flowers, helping them drink easily without shocking the stems. This simple preparation gives your bouquet the best possible start.

Trim the stems properly and keep them refreshed

Once unwrapped, trim around two centimetres from the bottom of each stem at a slight angle using sharp scissors or secateurs. Cutting at an angle increases the surface area for water uptake and prevents the stems from sitting flat against the base of the vase. Retrimming every two or three days keeps the stems open and able to absorb water easily, which makes a visible difference to how long the flowers last.

Change the water regularly to slow wilting

Flowers thrive on clean water. Change it daily if possible, or every other day at the very least, and rinse the vase quickly each time before refilling. If the water ever looks cloudy or smells slightly off, change it immediately, as bacteria builds quickly and blocks the stems from drinking.

Fresh water alone can add several extra days to a bouquet’s life.

Use flower food carefully and consistently

That small sachet of flower food is there for a reason. It provides nutrients, balances the water and helps control bacteria, all of which keep flowers looking fresher for longer. Add it when you first arrange your bouquet and again when you change the water. If you run out, a tiny pinch of sugar and a single drop of bleach in fresh water can help in the short term, but restraint is important

Remove any leaves sitting below the waterline

Leaves submerged in water break down quickly and encourage bacteria, which shortens the life of your flowers. Gently strip away any foliage that would sit below the waterline while leaving the rest intact to support the bouquet and maintain its shape. It’s a quick check that keeps the water cleaner and the flowers healthier.

Choose a calm, cool spot away from heat

Where you place your bouquet matters more than most people realise. Keep flowers away from direct sunlight, radiators, fireplaces and draughty areas, all of which cause blooms to wilt and fade faster. A cool room with indirect light is ideal, and it’s always wise to place arrangements safely away from pets and children, as some flowers can be harmful if touched or eaten.

Allow the bouquet to evolve naturally over time

Not every flower fades at the same pace, and that gentle change is part of the beauty of a fresh arrangement. As individual stems begin to tire, remove them so the remaining flowers can continue to thrive. The bouquet will shift and soften over time, and that quiet transformation is something to enjoy.

Put Your Bouquet in the Hands of a Luxury Florist in Central London

At Shaws of Covent Garden, we prepare every bouquet with care, conditioning each stem so it performs beautifully at home. As a fourth generation, family run luxury florist in Central London, we’re proud to offer hand tied bouquets in Covent Garden and same day flower delivery across London, all created with longevity, balance and understated elegance in mind.