Braer Studio | Events, Weddings and Business installations Flowers

Flower Care

Did you know the first 24 hours after delivery is the most crucial period, affecting the longevity of your flowers because they absorb half the water they require to survive during this time?

For Longest Vase Life

General care
~ Use a clean vase and fill it with room temperature water. 
~ After unwrapping your bouquet, re-cut 2cm off the stems at a sharp angle and promptly place them into deep water, removing any leaves that might sit below the waterline.
~ Refresh the water and recut the stems every second or third day, for the longest vase life possible. Take the time to enjoy this task, to commune with your flowers and enjoy their scent and textures up close.
~ Keep your blooms in a cool place and away direct sunlight, draughts and extreme heating or cooling. It's best to keep flowers away from candles, incense and ripening fruit.
~ Remove any spent flowers or leaves as they perish, this will help to prolong the life of the remaining flowers and promote other buds opening.
~ Should your flowers flop or 'flag' at any time, they can often be revived with another recut - try 3-5cm - and fresh deep water.

Pro tip: When flowers have fully bloomed and are edging towards perishing, prepare a short vase and cut the stems down by half or two thirds. This short stem length will allow one last rush of water to the flowerhead for its final, precious days.

Flower enthusiasts, read on for more detailed care information.

Gift Wrapped Bouquets

Remove paper wrapping from the bouquet as it is purely decorative and for protecting the blooms in transport. Leave the binding that holds the bouquet together intact to retain the florist's shape. 
Brær wrapping paper is entirely reusable and compostable, including our plant-based cellophane. Please reuse your ribbons for gifting.
Re-cut the stems 2-3cm on an angle with sharp scissors or secateurs and place into water immediately. Clean your vase; change the water and re-cut stems every 2/3 days. Remove any flower or leaves which start to perish over time.

Vase arrangements

Refresh the vase water and re-cut the stems at an angle, every 2/3 days. To maintain the arrangements form, use string to hold the stems together while out of the vase. After cleaning the vase and trimming the stems place back in fresh water and cut off the string. Remove any dead flower heads or leaves from the bouquet.


Wilting Blooms

Should your flowers flop or 'flag' at any time, they can often be revived by recutting the stems 3-5cm at a sharp angle and placing immediately into fresh deep room temperature water.
Occasionally air bubbles form in the stems and can inhibit water absorption, causing the bloom to wilt. Re-cut the stem on an angle under water and hold under water for approximately 10 seconds; this will release the air bubbles and revive the wilted bloom.

Roses
Roses love deep fresh water and regular recutting. Their stems absorb water not just from the bottom but also through their exterior. We try to always use fragrant varieties, which are best displayed in a smaller space or in close proximity so this scent can be enjoy.

Tulips
Tulips are generally delivered in bud form and open up over time to reveal their colour. Tulips continue to grow dramatically in the vase, generally towards the light. They mature with a natural bend or ‘droop’, which is normal, but if you wish to keep the flowers upright, use a taller vase like a cynlinder which hold the stems upright. 

Hydrangea
Hydrangea drinks for them flowerhead as much as their stems. Hydrate them with a light mist from a spray bottle regularly, or if the flowers wilt they can be 'bathed' by gently submerging the entire flower head in a sink of cold water for several hours or overnight. Recut the stems again before placing upright in your vase.
Their woody stems can be cut upright in a 'split' to permit a greater water intake.

Lilies
Lilies will open better in well lit areas. Lily pollen is so beautiful but it may stain fabric, skin and furnishing.  We like to leave lily pollen on, for the beauty of the bloom, but if staining is a concern remove the pollen as soon as the bud opens, ideally before it has become powdery. You may like to do this with a tissue.
If lily pollen does fall onto fabric, avoid rubbing and instead try to 'pick up' the pollen gentle with sticky tape to remove as much as possible before using water & stain treatments

Native Australian Flowers
Due to their extreme habitats, many native Australian flowers are thirsty and need lots of water and constant topping up. Despite their hardy appearance, they will often drink a vase dry.

Woody or Thick Stems  
No need to break your wrists on the secateurs, they are best 'split' with a vertical cut running up the stem instead.

Hollow Stems
Flowers with hollow, fragile stems such as jonquils, daffodils, dahlias and delphinium may benefit from a straight cut instead of an angle - however ensure the stem end isn't sitting completely flat on the bottom of the vase, preventing water uptake.

Hairy Stems
Such as Gerberas and Poppies generally don’t like deep water. Place hairy stemmed flowers in water no more than 6cm deep.