Everybody loves receiving flowers, but people often hesitate to purchase a beautiful bouquet for themselves. Generally the misconception that flowers will last only a few days tends to drive most prospective buyers away.

Flowers add such an incredible atmosphere to any room. Here are a few tips used by florists that help ensure bouquets stay looking fresher for longer.

When purchasing flowers

Quality is the most important factor to consider when buying flowers. Therefore it would be advised to purchase your flowers from a reputable florist. Not only do they have the knowledge and experience to handle flowers properly, but they will also be able to prepare the bouquet for you to make the conditioning process a little bit easier. This includes little things such as ridding roses of thorns or including a special flower food sachet that has been scientifically proven to help extend the flowers' lifespan.

Although you might have to pay more for better quality, it will show at the end of the day when the flowers last longer, proving to be well worth it. But purchasing quality flowers is not enough, conditioning is vital if you want to make sure that your flowers last longer.

Flower growers have created harvest programs that need to be followed by both florists and the customer in order not to break the life chain of the flowers. Without following these basic flower care steps, you will ultimately shorten the life of your flowers.

Conditioning

Conditioning flowers correctly extends your flowers' vase life. There are a few do's and don'ts that you need to follow to make sure you get the best value for what you paid for.

If you are unable to put the flowers into a vase quickly, and the flowers start to show severe signs of water stress, simply submerge the whole flower, including stem and head, into lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. After that you can start conditioning the flowers for the vase.

You can start the conditioning process by making sure that any buckets and the vase you put the flowers into are disinfected. Bacteria loves dirty containers and will shorten your flower's life span.

While busy conditioning your flowers, place them in fresh clean warm water that contains flower food. Using warm rather than cold water is better for your flowers because it contains less air, limiting the chances of any air blockages in the stems.

While preparing the flowers for the vase, make sure that you use a good sharp knife rather than a pair of scissors to cut the stems. A knife will give a good clean diagonal cut which will prevent any damage to the water conducting cells in the stem. Although this might seem difficult to do, this technique is easy to master and is much easier and more efficient than a pair of scissors.

It is best to cut approximately 2cm off the stems at an angle under water. This will accelerate rapid water uptake. The excess foliage that will be below the water level in the vase should be removed. Also clean the stems of the flowers to get rid of possible existing bacteria to help prevent rotting and further development of bacteria once the flowers are in the vase.

Make sure you use a non-metal container or vase to arrange your flowers in. Add lukewarm water and add flower food before you start arranging the flowers in the vase.

Once you've arranged your flowers beautifully, make sure to place the flowers out of direct sunlight or heat and away from any droughts. Although flowers love light and even temperatures, they do not react well to droughts.

Top the vase up daily with fresh water. Should the flowers start to droop, simply re-cut the stems using a sharp knife. If you have purchased roses, and they start to droop at the head, simply re-cut the stems and place them in deep water for approximately an hour.

After you have followed these easy steps you will be able to appreciate your flowers for much longer, knowing that your flowers are worth every cent and more!