Flower care
Most cut flowers die of thirst long before they die of age — and in a Pakistani summer they die of heat first. Four habits do almost all of the work.
The four that matter
1. Recut every stem on arrival
Two centimetres, at a sharp angle, under running water. The moment a stem is cut it starts drawing air, and an air lock will stop it drinking within the hour. The angle matters because a flat cut can seal itself against the bottom of the vase.
2. Strip anything below the waterline
Submerged leaves rot within a day and turn the water cloudy, which then fouls every other stem in the vase. Take them off before the flowers go in.
3. Change the water every second day
Fresh cool water in a clean vase beats any additive on the market. If you do only one thing from this page, do this one. Rinse the vase properly while you are there — the film on the inside is bacteria.
4. Beat the heat, and avoid the fruit bowl
Above 30°C most cut flowers halve their vase life, so between April and September keep them in the coolest room you have and run the AC — but not blowing directly on them, because a cold draught dehydrates petals faster than sunlight does.
Ripening fruit gives off ethylene, which will age an entire bouquet in a single day. Keep them off the kitchen counter.
What each one actually needs
Recut on arrival and keep out of direct sun. Roses open fast in Punjab summers, so a cool room buys you two extra days. See Roses – Ever Red.
Recut under running water and strip any leaf below the waterline. See Garden Rose, Blush.
Buds open in sequence over a week — leave the unopened ones on. Change the water daily; tuberose fouls it faster than most. See Tuberose · Rajnigandha.
Keep in a shallow bowl of water or refrigerate in a damp cloth. Use the same day — this is a flower for tonight, not for the week. See Motia · Arabian Jasmine.
Hang rather than lay flat so the heads keep their shape. Mist lightly in hot weather. See Marigold · Genda Haar.
Pinch off spent lower florets to keep the spike reading clean. See Gladiolus.
Strip lower foliage. Guldaudi will outlast whatever you pair it with. See Chrysanthemum · Guldaudi.
Cut between the nodes, not through them, or the stem will not drink. See Carnation.
Pinch out the orange anthers as each head opens — the pollen stains fabric permanently and shortens the flower. See Oriental Lily.
Gerbera stems rot quickly. Use shallow water, change it daily, and keep the vase scrupulously clean. See Gerbera Daisy.
Leave the unopened buds on — they will all come good. See Lisianthus.
Hydrangeas drink through the head as well as the stem. Mist them daily through the summer or they will collapse. See Antique Hydrangea.
A straight pin pushed through the stem just below the head slows the bending. Keep them somewhere cool. See Tulip.
Tolerates warm rooms better than anything else we stock. See Dendrobium Orchid.
Needs very little water. Let it dry in the vase and keep it. See Gypsophila · Baby’s Breath.
Crush the woody stem ends with a rolling pin so they can take up water. See Silver Eucalyptus.
Every order also arrives with a printed care card for what is inside it.
Troubleshooting
Almost always an air lock. Recut 3cm under running water, then stand the stems in 10cm of warm — not hot — water for an hour before returning them to the vase. Roses and hydrangea usually come back completely.
Bacteria, usually from a leaf below the waterline. Empty the vase, wash it with soap, recut every stem and refill. Do not top the old water up — replace it.
They are supposed to. Tulips grow several centimetres in the vase and lean toward the light. Trim them back level every few days, or turn the vase daily and let them do it — the movement is the best thing about them. Ours are only in from November to February, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Move them somewhere warmer and give them fresh water with flower food. Lisianthus and tuberose in particular open on temperature. If you want them held closed for an occasion, do the opposite and keep them cool.
Then that is on us. Message the atelier within 48 hours with your order reference and we will replace them on the next delivery run. We do not ask for photographs. Get in touch.
Flower food, shears and the right vase
The tools we use on the bench, offered for anyone who arranges their own.
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