Floral Care

Thank you for choosing Lovella Lifestyle for your fresh floral arrangement! As with all things of beauty, your blooms have a best-before; depending on multiple factors, level of care, and the type of floral arrangement, you can maximize its longevity by following our Floral Care guide.

Special Floral Care

General Floral Care

Keep and display indoors
Keep away from drafts and direct sunlight
Keep away from ripe fruit, as the ethylene released from fruits and vegetables will shorten the vase life
Do not keep in poorly circulated air conditions for long periods, especially when excessively humid; this can promote mold growth
Do not expose to extreme heat or heat sources (ie. heater vents, car vents, ovens, open fire, hot windows)
Do not expose to extreme cold (ie. cold air, winter weather, cold windows, freezing temperatures, ice)

General Precautions

Some florals have pollen, dyed elements, petals, and other parts that can dye and stain skin, fabrics, and surfaces
Not all florals and foliage are pet-safe; please keep this in mind when ordering for a home with pets
Take care when handling flowers, as some may have sharp parts and thorns
Always wash your hands before and after handling flowers for the health of your flowers and your skin
It may look pretty, but it is not necessarily edible; berries and sap should not be ingested
Vases can scratch some surfaces, so you may want to consider placing something underneath

Hand-Tied Fresh Floral Bouquets (No vase)

When your hand-tied fresh floral bouquet arrives, it is important to follow these steps immediately upon receiving your bouquet to maximize your time with your new beauties.

Clean your selected vase thoroughly using hot water and mild sudsy liquid, or rinse with diluted water-bleach solution. Bacteria can live inside your vase, so minimizing their numbers will help to maximize vase life.
Remove outer floral wrapping from your bouquet
You will find a clear plastic bag and moisture sheet wrapped around the base of the stems. You may also find a water tube wrapped around the base of some stems. Carefully remove.
You’ll notice that there’s green floral tape wrapped around the stems. If you’d like to keep the structure we designed for your bouquet, skip to Step 5.
(Optional) If feeling creative, remove floral tape so you can design to your heart’s content.
Cut bottom of each floral stem by 1/2″ with a sharp knife (we do not recommend using scissors, as it tends to crush the stem) at an angle to maximize water absorption.
Remove all leaves that will be under water. We have provided you a head start with removing leaves at the base of the stem, but as you trim your stem back, additional leaves may need to be removed.
Place flowers into your clean vase of lukewarm water immediately so your blooms can start hydrating. Ensure that the flowers are appropriately proportionate to the vase size to avoid toppling.
Change water every 2-3 days, or when water in the vase becomes cloudy. It’s best to clean the vase with soap and water every so often, to keep it fresh and clean!
Cut bottom of each floral stem again (1/2″ at an angle) at each water change.

Regarding Flower Food

It turns out that flower food is not always the best way to keep your blooms beautiful and healthy; we have found that the chemicals can actually erode the stems. We recommend simply using fresh lukewarm tap water.

Water Tubes

Sometimes select flowers will have their own water tube to protect them during transport.

The water tubes will need to be removed before you place them into a clean vase of water. The bottom of the stem will also still need a trim after you remove the water tube.

Box Arrangement Care

Add 1/4 cup of warm water to the centre of your Box Arrangement daily. Carefully move blooms aside, and pour water into the gap between florals. This is important, so that water can get into the foam rather than sitting on top of the blooms. Avoid adding water directly to the box to avoid leakage. Our Box Arrangements are designed to be low maintenance and enjoyed as is, inside of its box! It does not require floral food, additional trimming or attention.

Vase Arrangement Care

Check daily to ensure that there is always 3/4 of the vase full of water.
Every 2-3 days, gently remove blooms and change water completely.
If there are any individual blooms requiring extra attention, trim the bottom of the stem by 1/2″ at an angle with a sharp knife (using scissors may crush the stem), and place back into the vase.

if your vase has Floral Foam inside, follow above instructions, except for Step 2.
if your vase has Floral Wire Netting inside, follow above instructions, except for Step 2.
- If, however, your vase arrangement is a manageable size (in which you can safely hold blooms from falling), you can follow Step 2 by simply tilting the vase to drain the water.
For larger arrangements, do not attempt to change water (Step 2). Instead, simply maintain water levels at 3/4 of the vase capacity. Re-trim or remove blooms as they fall/wilt.

Floral Wire Netting

Curious about the floral wire netting in your vase? We’re proud to bring this material and technique to our floral design studio.

We find that using floral wire netting is more environmentally responsible than using floral foam. It can be re-purposed and reused in other floral arrangements (we will take back the vases and wire to reuse for future orders), so at Lovella we try to use floral wire netting as much as possible.

Rose Care

Is your rose droopy? Don’t be alarmed, it is a common and natural occurrence, and it may not be dead! Dead roses display dry and browning petals, and will physically appear aged. If your rose petals are fresh but drooping, it’s probably just a sign that water is not traveling up the stem properly. This is what the floral industry calls, ‘droop neck,’ and may be revived using the following method.

Re-cut stem at a 45-degree angle, underwater, with a sharp knife (avoid using scissors, as they may crush the stem). Do not let rose sit in open air (this may seal the new cut).
Quickly place stem into a separate vase with fresh lukewarm water.
(Optional) Roll a piece of paper around the rose to keep the rose head straight.
Leave overnight or until you see some good recovery
Place the rose stem back into your arrangement

Alternatively, you may also try:

Re-cut stem at a 45-degree angle, underwater, with a sharp knife (avoid using scissors, as they may crush the stem). Do not let rose sit in open air (this may seal the new cut).
Fill sink or container (big enough for the rose to lay flat in the water) with clean lukewarm water
Submerge the entire rose in the water for 30 minutes to an hour. You should see some recovery.
Place the rose stem back into your arrangement

Hydrangea Care

Because hydrangea are nice and voluminous, it can be distressing to see them wilt and appear smaller— don’t worry, this is a natural process, and it may not be dead yet. Hydrangeas absolutely love water, and sap may be clogging the stem, keeping them from drinking. There may yet be a way to perk them back up by following some simple steps (video below):

Prepare a sanitized basin with clean room temperature water (tap water is okay), with a volume appropriate to be able to completely submerge the stems and blooms.
Using sanitized pruning shears, prepare your hydrangea stems by clipping off any dead leaves, and clipping the stem a half to one inch from the bottom at a 45-degree angle.
Submerge the hydrangeas in the prepared bath.
Leave to absorb water for approximately 3 hours, or until adequately hydrated. This should not exceed a full day.
Collect your hydrangea, gently shaking off excess water, and place back into your vase with clean water.

Orchid Care

Cymbidium orchids are not huge water drinkers, but we want to ensure that there’s always enough water available to them! Ensure at least 3” of the stem is submerged in water. Depending on the design, cymbidium orchid heads can also be completely underwater.

If you do not have an underwater cymbidium design and your cymbidium orchids are looking a little ‘soft’ (this happens!), don’t fret! Submerge your entire cymbidium orchid stem underwater and trim 1/2” off the bottom. Leave underwater for a day or until you see your cymbidium orchid firming back up.