Flower Food Essentials

After cutting flowers, water and nourishment help preserve the blossoms. The flower food generally includes a trio of these common household items:

• Sugar: Energy helps buds open, keeps blossoms bright, and allows foliage to stay plump.
• An acidifier: Citric acid lowers the pH of the water, so it can move up the stems, hydrating the plant.
• A bacteria and fungus inhibiting agent: Bleach helps maintain the flower’s deal fragrance and prevents the water from getting cloudy to ensure your blooms last for as long as possible.

Follow one of these recipes with ingredients you have at home. Both options provide the three basic needs of flower food to give the same results as the usual packets you may find with your floral deliveries.

Flower Food Recipe #1

This first recipe requires a citrus soda — you can use any sweet or tangy flavor in your pantry or refrigerator. To make the first DIY flower food, gather the following ingredients:

• 12 fluid ounces of citrus soda
• 36 ounces of water
• 1.2 milliliters or 1 1/2 medicine droppers full of household bleach

Add the citrus soda first, water second, and bleach last. Since regular soda contains sugar, you don’t need to add any extra sugar to this recipe. Make sure you avoid the diet soda options — artificial sugar doesn’t provide enough nutrition for your florals and foliage.

Flower Food Recipe #2

This next recipe option calls for lime or lemon juice, although you can substitute it for 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid mixed with 2 teaspoons of water as a solution. Here’s the list of ingredients you need:

• 32 ounces of water
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon of household bleach

In order of the list, add those ingredients to your vase of water and mix well. You can add any extras to other arrangements or adjust the recipe to make more or less with ratios remaining the same. This solution isn’t kid or pet-safe, so please ensure you keep any leftovers stored away and out of reach.

Tips for Making DIY Flower Food

In addition to providing your bouquet with flower food, a few practices can help keep your bouquet beautiful and healthy. Enjoy having flowers last a longer timeline when you follow these guidelines:

• Trim the stems: If your florals and greenery arrive in a box or tied with a rubber band, you should trim 2-5 inches off the stems at a 45-degree angle — cutting them under water prevents air bubbles so the stems can better absorb the flower food.
• Remove lower leaves: After filling your vase with water 3/4 of the way or by the instructions provided with your delivery, you should remove any submerged leaves to keep the water fresh.
• Refresh your vase’s water: You should pour the water out every two to three days. If it gets cloudy, thoroughly clean your container before refilling the water with more flower food to keep the contents healthy.
• Keep away from direct sunlight: Display your gorgeous florals away from heat and sunlight for a longer life span.
• Pay attention to water temperature: Room temperature water usually works well, although colder water may rejuvenate a plant and warmer water can help unopened bulbs bloom faster.

Order Stunning Florals From Ode à la Rose

Want unique flowers for a casual display or special occasion? Ode à la Rose provides an array of chic and modern florals. If you’d like help choosing the perfect options, reach out to us today.

Shop our bouquet collection and place your order!

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Taking care of orchids can be easy with the right food and potting media. When properly caring for your orchid, you can watch it thrive year after year, dousing your space in elegance. When it comes to this precious plant, you don’t want to provide too much or too few essential nutrients, including water, temperature, lighting, and food. With the right balance, you can grow your plant for decades. Discover how to keep an orchid alive below.

Jump to:

• Best Soil for Orchids
• How to Water an Orchid
• Indirect Light & Sunlight
• Temperature & Humidity
• Feeding an Orchid
• How to Make Orchids Last Longer
• How to Prune an Orchid
• Types of Pots to Use
• How to Repot an Orchid
• Caring for a Sick Orchid

Diverse Orchid Needs

There are thousands of different orchid types. With more than 25,000 different plants, orchids have many different needs to thrive. Many orchids are tropical, growing on trees and similar surfaces. Some flourish on rocks and the ground, while others can thrive in your home. If you’re growing orchids at home, you likely have a hybrid plant from a florist.

These plants have a desirable color, size, and fragrance. They’re relatively easy to take care of, despite the varying needs of each type. Orchids are rewarding to grow, and household orchids can liven your house and brighten your rooms. Understanding your orchid can take time, but it’s a satisfying experience. When you learn to meet all of its needs, you can keep your delicate bloom alive and thriving for many years.

What Kind of Soil Does an Orchid Need?

There is no best soil for orchid plants because they thrive in media like bark or moss. Orchids are air plants that get hydration and necessary nutrients from their surroundings and the air. Bark and moss can stabilize the plant roots and help them absorb the nutrients they need. It’s easy to find replacements when it’s time to switch the media.

Beginners can benefit from using some media over others. By utilizing a media with more visible signs of dehydration, it can be easier to tell if you are over or under-watering your orchid. However, some orchid varieties may do better in one type than another. Consider trying fir bark if you’re a beginner — it resists compaction and decay, letting your orchid get the drainage and air circulation it needs.

How to Water an Orchid

When learning how to care for an orchid, you need to understand how much water to supply it. Remember not to overwater it. This measure can be the most challenging aspect of taking care of your orchid at first, but with practice, you can perfect your routine and ensure your plant stays healthy. Typically, you can water your plant with lukewarm water once a week.

However, the amount of water your plant needs will vary with your orchid type, the mix it’s sitting in, the current season, and the environment. You will likely need to supply more water during the summer and less during the winter. You may need to experiment with multiple orchids, pot and mix types, and your watering schedule until you find the proper balance. This step takes time, but patience can help ensure your orchids stay alive and thrive for years.

Many orchid varieties prefer getting almost dry before getting another water flush. The best way to tell if your orchid is ready for more water is by feeling the media. Consider using sphagnum, a peat moss plant, because it will feel crunchy when you touch it if it’s dry. You can test other media by sticking a chopstick or pencil into the mix and pulling it out to examine if the interior is wet.

Using Indirect Light and Sunlight for Orchids

Although many plants thrive in direct sunlight, orchids do best in indirect light. Place your plant in an east-facing window so it can soak up the sun in the morning without getting direct light during midday. You could also consider setting the pot in a window that allows afternoon light through a sheer curtain. This low level of light is an ideal amount for your orchid.

You can tell when your plant is getting the light it needs by the color of the leaves. Bright, olive-green leaves indicate that your orchid is thriving, while dark leaves are a sign that it’s not getting enough light. Leaves with red coloring on top are a warning that you’re giving your orchid too much sunlight.

Some orchids enjoy dappled shade outside and may not bloom reliably if you keep them indoors. If you obtain one of these orchids, you can use fluorescent bulbs or high-intensity discharge (HID) lights to satisfy them. Keep in mind that outdoor orchids will receive natural light cues, while indoor lights tend to stay on much longer. If you bring these orchids inside, ensure they can get the proper amount of light they need without overdoing it. Timers can help you control these light sources.

What Is the Best Temperature for Orchids?

Orchids are adaptable, and the temperature variations they experience daily and seasonally are essential for their growth. Most orchids will do their best with a 10-15 degree Fahrenheit fluctuation between day and night. The cool air enables the plant to store energy rather than expend it. Temperatures that are too high can prevent your delicate flower from blooming. Ideally, you should place your orchid in an environment that will see temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day.

Avoid placing this bloom in places that can see extreme temperatures. Your attic and basement, for example, can see temperatures much higher or lower than the rest of your home, making it difficult for your plant to survive. Improper temperatures can result in buds dropping off rather than producing the bright blooms you want.

If you’re keeping your orchid indoors, you may need to increase your home’s humidity. You can mist your plants daily, fill a saucer with water and place it underneath your plants, or use a humidifier. Your plant will do its best when humidity is between 40% and 70%. Ensure you have gentle air movement supplying your plant to prevent it from rotting from moisture.

Feeding Your Orchid

Feeding your orchid is simple. Most orchids will thrive with fertilizer if you supply it once a week. You can refrain from providing fertilizer when they bloom but otherwise continue on a regular schedule. A teaspoon of fertilizer inside a gallon of water should be enough for your plant. You should skip this step once a month to ensure excess salt clears out and doesn’t impede the plant’s growth.

A 20-20-20 fertilizer includes all the trace elements your orchid needs. You can often use the same product on other container plants for your orchid. For the best growth results, using orchid fertilizer will be the best choice, but you can get by with other variations. Be sure to select a fertilizer with minimal to no urea.

How to Make an Orchid Last Longer

Many plants have different requirements, but you can make your flowers last longer by understanding their unique plant needs. Orchid care can be simple if you know the steps to take to prolong its life. You will need to repot and prune your plant to ensure it stays healthy and can continue blooming year after year. Take a look at these tips for taking care of your plant to ensure you know when and how to care for it.

How to Prune an Orchid

When your orchid enters a dormant phase, promote blooms in the next season by trimming it. You should prune your orchid in the cooler months to prepare it for the upcoming blooming season. Pruning stimulates blooming and enables your orchid to store the energy it needs. Continue caring for your plant even when it isn’t blooming.

Before pruning, assess your plant’s current condition. Healthy orchid spikes are firm and green, while yellow or brown spikes are unhealthy. Then, clean and sterilize your pruning tools, but wash all the soap off before taking them to your plant.

Assess where and how much to trim by the condition of the orchid spikes:

• Green and healthy: Trim one inch above the node on the lowest flower bloom.
• Brown and unhealthy: Trim back to the base of the orchid.
• Double-spike plants: Prune one spike from the plant base and trim the other one inch above the node of the lowest flower bloom.

What Kind of Pots to Use

Orchids grow naturally in the wild, so potting the plant can be a significant adjustment. Homes are typically not humid enough to support orchid needs, so pots help contain moisture and ensure the plant grows healthy roots. However, orchids enjoy when their roots can spread and breathe, so finding a proper pot is essential for their growth. While you can tell other plants are healthy by looking at the leaves, for orchids, you must look at the roots.

Clear pots are typically the best choice for orchids, so you can inspect the roots without disrupting the media and ensure light reaches the plant. Select a pot that is small but large enough to fit all the roots. Selecting a large pot can inhibit growth, so avoid going the next size up. Your pot should enable you to identify when it’s time to supply water, so make sure you can see the color of the media and roots.

Plastic pots are easier to disinfect and reuse than clay ones, and ceramic pots are an excellent option for enhancing the plant’s natural beauty.

How to Repot an Orchid

Indoor orchid care tips involve knowing how to pot and repot your beautiful plant. You will likely need to repot your orchid about once a year. Although repotting may seem challenging, it’s quite simple. First, you must identify signs that it’s time to transfer your plant to a lovely new home. If your orchid’s roots are growing out of the container or if you notice the medium is breaking down, it’s likely time to repot your plant.

Know what type of orchid you have, as different species do best when you repot them at various times during the year. For example, some orchids thrive when you repot them as soon as they flower, while others are more flexible, and you can repot them at any time.

Take these steps to repot an orchid:

1. Find a new container that is an inch or two larger than your current one.
2. Place your potting mix in a sizable bowl and cover it with boiling water.
3. Wait for the water to reach room temperature, then drain the potting mix.
4. Soak the planter and tools in a safe disinfectant to remove bacteria and insects.
5. Gently remove the plant from the pot and wash the roots.
6. Remove any rotting or brown roots.
7. Fill the new pot with potting mix and place the base of the plant at the top of the medium.
8. Push the mix between the roots using a chopstick or wooden pencil.
9. Mist your plant for about a week until you notice new roots appearing.
10. Continue caring for your repotted plant.

Taking Care of a Sick Orchid

Although you’re trying your best to keep your plant thriving, sometimes orchids get sick. One of the first signs of an ill orchid is an increase in bacteria or insects. If you notice these signs, remove the affected plants immediately and keep them away while you treat the plant.

A common household pest deterrent is cinnamon. If you cut your plant, sprinkle a dash to prevent fungi and bacteria from building — but avoid getting any on the plant’s roots. You can also use a product like Physan if an infection sets in. Use a 50/50 rubbing alcohol and water solution if you need to remove many bugs.

Occasionally, you may experience problems under the plant. When this happens, you should repot the plant and investigate whether visitors are feeding on the roots. Tiny insects, called fungus gnats, resemble fruit flies and cause severe plant damage. You can find products to remove these critters if they overtake your precious plant.

If you suspect a virus, isolate the orchid immediately. Sadly, there is no way to cure an orchid with a virus, but you can test the plant to ensure you identify the problem. Plant viruses can quickly spread to the rest of your collection, so keep this plant away from the others until you know the final verdict.

Any problem you detect can be a signal to evaluate your plant’s conditions. Orchids that experience stress are more susceptible to disease and pests than healthy orchids. Check your air movement, how sterile the cutting tools are, whether another plant is sick, and if you’re providing enough light.

Order an Orchid From Ode à la Rose

Ode à la Rose sources the most impeccable orchids to offer you the best variety of beautiful blooms. Orchids are known for their exotic and elegant nature, and their timeless beauty makes them a sophisticated and delicate addition to your home.

At Ode à la Rose, you’ll find flowers from eco-friendly farms that make a lasting impression. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a loved one or want to add grace to your home, our orchids are a perfect choice. You can easily take care of these delightful blooms and enjoy the sweet sights and smells they omit. Browse our orchids and find the perfect one for your home.

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If you know how to care for flowers, your blooms will have a better chance at a longer life. You or your recipient will be able to keep the flowers on display, which brightens up a space or serves as a reminder of the kind gesture. Read on for a comprehensive guide to keeping flowers fresh and a look into how long they last in an array of situations.

• How Long Do Flowers Last in a Vase?
• How Long Do Flowers Last in Floral Foam?
• How Long Do Flowers Last in the Fridge?
• How Long Do Flowers Last in the Car?
• How Long Do Flowers Last Once They’re Cut?
• How Long Do Flowers Last Out of Water?
• Does Aspirin Make Cut Flowers Last Longer?
• What Types of Flowers Last the Longest?
• How Can You Prolong the Life of Your Flowers?

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Crafting a beautiful bouquet of flowers isn’t just a task for a professional florist. You can learn how to design a flower arrangement for a dinner party, a gift for a loved one, or just to freshen up your home. Creating your own floral arrangement is simpler than you may think when you follow a step-by-step process.

A major perk of designing your own flower bouquet is choosing every type of bloom and making an arrangement unique to you and your style. Create your arrangement in a vase, mug, cup, or any vessel you have in your home. Regardless of the types of flowers or vases you have access to, you’ll be able to create a professional-looking bouquet that will surely impress you and your house guests.

Ready to start making unique floral arrangements at home? Follow this guide for a step-by-step lesson on how to cut and design flower bouquets.

Step 1: Gather Your Tools

Before you start placing flowers in a vase, you’ll need to collect the proper tools and materials to help you create your own floral masterpiece. You’ll need a set of hand tools to shape your flowers and hardware or equipment for arranging your flowers.

Search for these materials before crafting your flower arrangement:

• Floral shears: You’ll use your florist shears or clippers to cut leaves, stems, or heads of flowers. Keep your shears sharp enough to make a clean and precise cut through your flowers. Use florist shears over scissors to cut through the stems easier and more efficiently.
• Florist knife: Using a florist knife is similar to using florist shears or clippers. Use this tool for cutting the stems of your flowers. You can use various knives around your home if you want to refrain from purchasing a florist knife, like a paring knife or Swiss Army knife.
• Wire cutters: You’ll use this tool for trimming floral wire and other flower-securing products. Wire cutters are built to cut through wire, unlike your florist shears or knives.
• Ribbon scissors: Tools for the design or embellishment part of your floral arrangement are beneficial to have. You can use ribbon scissors to cut the ribbon or fabric you’ll add to your design. Remember, you should use these ribbon scissors for cutting fabric, not for trimming flowers.
• Floral foam: Adding floral foam to your arrangement provides support for your flowers and allows you to position them exactly where you want to in the vase. The foam should be soaked in water before creating the bouquet to keep fresh flowers hydrated.
• Clear floral tape: Floral tape is strong, and you can use it to create a grid pattern on the top of your vase or cup. The grid lets you place flowers where you want to and have more structure in your arrangement. You could also use this tape to stick your foam to the container or vase.
• Florist wire: Use florist wire to secure flowers together or to steady single flowers around their stems. Floral wire is often green or silver and varies in thickness for flower design.
• String or twine: Instead of wire, you can also use twine or string to tie bouquets together. These materials may be more visible than wire, so ensure they match the overall aesthetic you want for your arrangement.
• Flower food: Flower food provides nutrients for your fresh flowers after you cut the stems and place them in a vase full of water. It also keeps your water cleaner for longer. You’ll usually find a packet of flower food included with the flowers you purchase at a store, but if you don’t have any flower food, you can purchase some online.
• Vase: Find a cute and clean vase in your home for your flowers. Make sure to clean the vase thoroughly, especially if it recently held another arrangement.
• Decorations: Supplies like ribbon, fabric, pearls, gems, and other floral embellishments are optional but fun to include if you want to create a unique floral arrangement.

You can find most of these tools at your local floral shop, home improvement store, craft store, or online. Once you’ve collected your tools and materials, you’re ready to start learning how to arrange flowers step-by-step.

Step 2: Select Your Flowers and Accent Elements

Now that you have your tools, it’s time to gather the most important material. Selecting your flowers is the most exciting step because you can choose whichever blooms are your favorite. Learn how to design a flower bouquet and search for blooms in your favorite color or variety, unique shapes and colors, or ones in-season where you live. Keep the size of your container or containers in mind to ensure you purchase enough flowers and supplies.

Look for your perfect blossoms and accent elements to create the best bouquet of flowers and use lovely color options. Get inspired with these suggestions:

• Local blooms: When you’re deciding on what flowers to incorporate into your flower design, consider showcasing local blooms. Local and in-season floral options are more affordable, and they will blend well with the current season. Year-round flowers will always be available, like roses, orchids, and carnations. But local blooms are some of the best flowers to put in a bouquet, and you’ll feel like you’re bringing a little piece of nature from your own backyard into your home.
• Various shapes and sizes: Adding dimension to your floral arrangement by using flowers and greenery in various shapes and sizes is key. This variety will add texture to your arrangement and help with the overall flower design.
• Floral colors: Choose the best bouquet colors by selecting flowers that complement each other. Create a color scheme based on the time of year, or choose some of your favorite colors that pair nicely together. You could also complement the room you’ll place the arrangement in. For a fall floral arrangement, stick with red, orange, brown, and yellow tones that blend nicely together. Or, if you’re making a purple arrangement because it’s a lovely color, you can incorporate purple flowers, white flowers, and some greenery to create a stunning arrangement.
• Greenery: Pick out some greenery to complement your fresh flowers and add volume to your bouquet. You’ll use the greenery to fill in extra space within the bouquet and cover any bare spots. Eucalyptus, evergreen, lemon leaf, or ivy are a few greenery options. Depending on your container’s size and how many flowers you use, greenery can be optional, but it’s an excellent way to add texture.
• Accent flower: The flower that stands out and shines like a new piece of jewelry is your accent flower. These blooms are special because of their shape, color, or other unique visual characteristics that make them a focal point of the arrangement. Common accent flowers can include anemones, dahlias, orchids, or lavender. These blossoms will transform your floral arrangement. You can use as many or as little of the accent flowers as you want for your DIY bouquet.

Step 3: Prep Your Vases

With your tools, materials, and fresh flowers ready, begin preparing your vases for your floral arrangement. You can turn almost any container in your home into a vase for flowers. Your favorite mug or glass cup with intricate details will be the perfect container for your bouquet of flowers. Or go larger with a grand vase.

Follow these steps to see how to prep your vase for your flower design:

• Make your tape grid: Your first task is to assemble a grid with clear floral tape at the top of your vase. This step will help you methodically place flowers in your vase and support the blooms for a nice arrangement shape. Once you’ve created the tape grid, secure it by taping around the rim of the container.
• Add fresh water: Fill your vase up generously with fresh water in preparation for your lively flowers. A helpful tip for keeping your flowers alive longer is to change your water every day. If you don’t have time every day, every other day is fine. Leaving your flowers in water any longer could cause bacteria growth and decrease the life of your flowers.
• Add flower food: Stir in the flower food to help preserve your flowers. Follow the directions on the packet to measure the correct amount, or dust in small amounts to each vase so you have some leftover for more floral arrangements.

Step 4: Prep and Position Your Flowers

After you’ve prepared your vases, it’s time to understand how to arrange a bouquet in a vase. Before you place your flowers into the vase, it’s best to complete a few essential steps to make your floral arrangement look great and last for a long time.

Learn how to arrange a bouquet and prepare your flowers with these flower arrangement techniques:

• Remove any leaves or foliage that will be below water: Removing the leaves or foliage that would sit below the water is an essential step while you prep your flowers. Leaves in the water will lead to extra bacteria growth, causing your flowers to wilt faster. Keep a few leaves at the top of the flower if you’d like to add some texture and color to your arrangement.
• Cut flower stems at an angle: You’ll need to cut the flower stems so they fit nicely in your vase. Clip them at an angle to increase the flowers’ water absorption. After you trim your stems, it’s best to arrange flowers in a vase immediately so they don’t dry out.
• Start placing flowers on the outside: A beneficial flower arranging tip is to start placing your flowers in the outer edge of the vase and work your way in. Start with one type of flower and move on to the other types as you fill up your vase.
• Leave your accent flower for last: Save the best for last as you’re arranging your blooms. Since your accent flower is special, add it to your design at the end. It’s best to place them above the other flowers so they have room to be full and stand out.
• Save greenery for last: Now that you’ve placed all the flowers in the vase, see if there is room to add any greenery. After using the tape grid and placing all of your flowers, you might not need any greenery. Fill in small gaps or add more volume if you think it will help enhance your floral design.

Step 5: Step Back and Make Any Final Tweaks

Now it’s time to make the finishing touches to your lovely bouquet of flowers. During this step, you can trim up some of the stems more, move flowers around, add more flowers or greenery, and make your arrangement look perfect. At this stage, look at the arrangement from all angles and see if any spots need extra attention.

Once all of your fresh blooms are in place, consider adding some embellishments like ribbon, gems, fabric, and more details to complete the look of your flower bouquet.

With those steps complete, you’ve successfully created your DIY flower arrangement! You can keep your beautiful creation alive longer by storing it in the refrigerator overnight. This step will allow you to enjoy the presence of your flowers as long as possible.

After learning how to make a floral arrangement, you can start creating them more often and fill your home with gorgeous floral bouquets.

Shop Our Farm Fresh Flower Stems to Incorporate Into Your Bouquet

Designing your own flower arrangement at home is a fun and creative activity. Every time you create a new bouquet, you can play around with new flowers, colors, vases, and design ideas. Use your new florist skills when you decorate for events like the holidays or parties or create thoughtful gifts for your friends and family.

If you’re looking for some beautiful blooms for your next DIY arrangement, check out the farm-fresh flowers from Ode à la Rose.

Our fresh from the farm flowers are some of the loveliest blooms you can receive directly to your front door. We carefully source our offerings from eco-friendly farms in Holland and Ecuador. When you order farm-fresh flowers, they are then carefully packaged and shipped to the U.S. for you to design elegant arrangements at home. Since the flowers are shipping directly from the farm to your home, they will be fresh and long-lasting if you properly take care of your stunning creations.

Ode à la Rose ships flowers nationwide. Take a look at our flower delivery zones to see what kind of delivery options are available for your city. Search through our other floral products or contact us with any questions about our fresh flowers.

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Dried roses can embellish a jar and allow you to remember a special occasion (Valentine’s Day, birthday, Mother’s Day, etc.) by making your floral gift  last forever. It’s also a great table centerpiece to make table decorations come together. And if your boyfriend has left you, you can still commemorate your relationship with the dried version of the bouquet he gave you.

Here are the 5 steps to dry your flowers, nothing complicated:

#1 Remove the roses from the vase and dry off the stems.

#2 Secure the stems with a tie. Don’t forget to leave an extra length of tie to hang the bouquet with.

#3 Hang the bouquet upside down in a dark and dry room.

#4 When you feel that the roses are completely dry you can take the bouquet.

Extra tips: be patient, it can take up to ten days for the roses to dry; and be careful, dried roses are very fragile.

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