How to preserve cut flowers that have to be out of water

Flowers such as Stephanotis and Gardenia are commonly used out of water for bridal bouquets and special arrangements, but how do you keep them looking fresh and extend their lives when they have to be out of water?

The freshness of Stephanotises and Gardenias is indicated by the color of the petals, which means that the pure white flowers are the freshest. So make sure that when you buy them, that you buy only those that are pure white.

You should start by processing them correctly before you even begin to design and make arrangements with them:

• Cut the bottom of the stems at an angle, cut about 1/2 inch or a little more off.

• Place the cut ones in water a little bit warmer than lukewarm temperature.

• Keep flowerheads dry if you are not going to use them right away. Flower heads may become transparent if they have too much water in them or turn brown.

• You can use water-based antitranspirants such as Chrysal Professional Glory, Growning Glory and Floralife FloralMist to extend the life of the flower but once again, make sure the flower head is dry before applying.

• Store them in cool area out of direct sunlight.

When you are ready to use them:

• It is recommended to use wet hands when handling them or to wear gloves in order to prevent the petals from turning yellow.

• You should hydrate them by floating the blooms in cold water for an hour before using them. Stephanotises are sensitive to alkaline tap water so try to use distilled or deionized water for hydrating them.

• When you are done arranging them, mist the blooms very lightly with distilled water. If you saturate them with too much water, they may turn transparent, so mist lightly.