Lilies
Care and Handling – Lilies
Please have someone available to receive and process the boxes on the delivery date.
Upon arrival of your premium lilies, uncover the box. It is normal for your flowers to appear dehydrated and thirsty. Their appearance will change once they have hydrated. Follow our care and handling tips to insure full hydration and a long shelf life for your enjoyment.
Processing your Lilies:
- Lily pollen can stain clothing and furniture, so carefully remove the anthers (the orange pollen-coated tips at the end of the stamens) with tissues before displaying. As flowers open as your design ages, you should continue to remove the anthers. Lilies bruise easily; handle them with care. Their blooms open in succession, and you can snip off spent flowers close to the main stem.
- Cut stems 1 inch on a 45-degree angle. Always cut fresh flowers with a sharp knife. Scissors or a dull knife can crush the stem of a flower and reduce the amount of water that can reach the bloom. When you are cutting the stem place the knife on an angle and slice through the stem. This creates a point at the end of the stem, which maximizes the amount of water that can reach the bloom. It is always most beneficial to cut flowers under water so that the hydration process is smooth.
- Arrange your blooms in a vase with a minimum of 6 inches of water. Mix the package of flower food with the water.
- Place the blooms in a cool room in a container or vase of your choice.
- To prolong the vase life of your blooms, recut the stems ½ inch, clean the vase and replace its water every three days.
- Never place your flowers where there might be a warm draft, such as, the top of a refrigerator or beside a heating vent. Fresh flowers last longer when they are at room temperature or lower.
Flower Food Tip
You can also easily make your own flower food. Follow the steps below and you will give your flowers added shelf life. This homemade flower food mix can be used for all flowers.
- Pour clean fresh water in the container or vase of your choice.
- To prevent the water from developing bacteria, add 1-2 caps of household bleach to the water.
- For its nourishment, add 2 tablespoons of table sugar to the water. .
- In addition, 1 Tablespoon of lemon or lime juice provides citric acid which also provides nourishment for your blooms.