Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria state in Australia, is home to the famous Royal Botanic Gardens. This botanic garden is an immense 94-hectare showcase of Australia’s collection of 1.5 million preserved plants and the home of Australia’s most comprehensive botanical library. No wonder when it comes to cut flower delivery Melbourne holds the distinction of supplying 40% of Australia’s cut flowers.

And when it comes to fresh cut flowers, how many times have you received those fragrant and gorgeously arranged flower bouquets and ended up throwing those pretty bouquets after they have dried and wilted? Isn’t the deed too difficult? You wonder, how long can you really keep fresh flowers from deteriorating from gorgeous to weed? Now, here are some pointers to remember when you receive a bouquet from one of the multiple flower delivery Melbourne has:

1. As soon as you have recovered from the bliss of receiving that drop-dead gorgeous bouquet of a flower, find a spot in your office where you can place them.
2. Remove the plastic from the bouquet.
3. Keep your blooms away from a current airflow, direct sunlight or hot spots because they will dry out the flowers. You do not want to lose the plumpness of the blooms before you even leave for home.
4. If your office is comfortably cool, you can keep them on your table for safekeeping until you leave for home.
5. At home, find an appropriate vase for your flowers. Clean the vase thoroughly with soap and water. And ensure to rinse thoroughly to avoid leaving streaks of soap on the vase.
6. Florists usually provide flower preservatives with the bouquet. Use it and follow the instructions indicated on the packet. These packets are flower food. A packet contains a biocide to kill bacteria that stops water from getting into the stems, an acidifier to help water get into the stems quickly, and sugar which serves as the blooms’ food.
7. Remove loose stems and wilted flowers (if any) from the bunch. Should roses come with thorns, remove them. This shortens the lifespan of cut roses.
8. It is best to cut the stems in a slant (under running water), one to two inches from the bottom, with a sharp knife. This will prevent air bubbles from forming and allow better water absorption. Do not use a serrated knife or scissors to avoid smashing the stems and preventing proper water flow into the stems.
9. Do these steps immediately as you get home to prevent your flowers from wilting quickly.
10. As for maintenance, keep your vase full of water at all times. Lukewarm water for most cut flowers, but use cold water for bulbs.
11. Check for wilted or dead leaves regularly and remove them to avoid contaminating the water.
12. Watch that the water does not become cloudy. Cloudy water is a signal for you to change the water.

Or, you can skip all these and opt to preserve your blooms permanently. Here is a recipe:

Combine two cups of water with a cup of glycerine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. And then simmer on low heat for ten more minutes. Let cool. Cut the stems in a slant, one to two inches from the bottom, under running water for easier water absorption. Place your cut flowers submerged in the solution. Keep in a cool dark room until all the solution is absorbed (at least seven days). Carefully wipe glycerin formation on leaves and petals with a paper towel. Arrange your flowers as you desire.