The “Did You Know?” Series: Did You Know That Where You Place Your Flowers in Your Home Can Actually Determine How Long They Will Last?

You could have the freshest flowers, a clean vase, fresh water and flower food—and still shorten their vase life simply by putting them in the wrong spot.

When it comes to how to make cut flowers last longer, location matters.

Fresh flowers may look beautiful sitting in a sunny window.

Unfortunately, that's usually not the best place for them.

Direct sunlight can increase the temperature around your flowers and cause them to lose moisture more quickly. Higher temperatures can accelerate the aging process of many cut flowers.

For longer-lasting flowers, choose a cool location away from direct sunlight. University of Florida/IFAS Extension specifically recommends keeping cut flowers out of direct sunlight and in a cool place.

That doesn't mean your flowers need to live in a dark closet!

A bright room is perfectly fine.

Just avoid putting your vase directly in the path of strong afternoon sunshine.

Here's another one that surprises people:

Fresh flowers don't love drafts.

That includes strong airflow from:

Air-conditioning vents

Heating vents

Fans

Open doors

Windows with strong air movement

Other sources of constant air circulation

Drafts can increase water loss from flowers and contribute to dehydration.

Professional flower-care recommendations commonly advise keeping cut flowers away from drafts and heating or cooling vents.

The kitchen may seem like a perfect place for flowers, but there's one important consideration.

Keep your flowers away from your fruit bowl.

Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas, which can accelerate aging in many flowers and other plant material.

So if you have a beautiful bouquet on your kitchen counter, give it a little space from your bananas, apples and other ripening fruit.

A good location for most fresh-cut flowers is:

Cool + bright + away from direct sun + away from drafts + away from ripening fruit.

Think about a room where the temperature stays relatively comfortable and consistent.

A dining table, coffee table or side table can all work well—as long as they're not sitting directly under an air-conditioning vent or in a hot beam of sunlight.

Where you put your flowers isn't the only thing that matters.

Check your vase regularly.

Flowers use water, and some varieties can be extremely thirsty.

Keep the vase filled according to the care requirements of your particular flowers, and replace cloudy or dirty water.

If your flowers begin to wilt prematurely, check the basics:

Is the vase clean?

Is the water fresh?

Are the stems able to take up water?

Is the arrangement sitting somewhere too warm?

Is it receiving direct sunlight?

Is it sitting in a draft?

Sometimes the solution is much simpler than you think.

If you wouldn't want to sit there all afternoon because it's too hot, too sunny or too drafty…

your flowers probably don't want to either.

Give your arrangement a comfortable environment and you'll give it a better opportunity to stay beautiful.

At Petal Perfection Flower Company, we believe the floral experience doesn't end when your arrangement is delivered. We're proud to provide fresh, handcrafted flowers and professional floral design throughout Sun City Center and the Tampa Bay Area, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Brandon, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Wimauma, Parrish, Bradenton, Palmetto, Ellenton and Lakewood Ranch.

Did you know? Sometimes moving your flowers a few feet can make a difference in how long they last!