Wrapped bouquets · hand-tied bouquets · grab-and-go flowers
A wrapped or hand-tied bouquet is made to go straight into your own vase. The first hour at home matters most: the flowers have been out of water, or in a small water pouch, and they are thirsty.
Some of our bouquets come with a water pouch or wet wrap around the stems, and some come dry-wrapped for a short trip. Either way, the steps below get them drinking again, and from then on you care for them just like a vase arrangement.
Fresh cut, clean vase, right away
Cut half an inch to an inch off every stem at an angle, and put the bouquet in water within a minute or two. A stem left in the air seals itself off. A fresh cut opens it back up so it can drink.
Use sharp scissors, pruners or a kitchen knife. Dull blades crush the stem instead of cutting it.
When your flowers arrive
- Fill a clean vase about two-thirds full of cool water and stir in the flower food packet if one came with it.
- Over the sink, remove the outer wrap. If there is a water pouch or wet wrap, cut it open and let it drain.
- If the bouquet is hand-tied, leave the tie on. It holds the spiral shape the designer built. Just trim below it.
- Pull off any leaves that would sit below the waterline.
- Trim the stems at an angle, then put the bouquet straight into the vase.
- Set it somewhere cool and out of the sun, and check the water again that evening.
Where to put them
The same as any vase of flowers: cool, bright and out of direct sun.
- A table or counter away from sunny windows, heat vents and appliances.
- Away from the fruit bowl, which ages flowers faster.
- Out of drafts from ceiling fans and doors.
Everyday care
Wrapped & Hand-Tied Bouquets
Fresh flowers to put in your own vase
- Vase life
- Five to ten days, depending on the flowers and how soon they got into water.
- Water
- Fresh, cool water every two days. Fresh flowers drink a lot on day one, so check it that night.
- Stems
- Re-cut half an inch every few days.
- Flower food
- Use the packet if one came with it.
- Temperature
- 65–72°F is ideal. Don’t leave the bouquet in a hot car.
- Watch for
- Rubber bands or ties pinching the stems too tightly once they are in water. Loosen them if needed.
Some flowers can upset a pet’s stomach if chewed. If your bouquet has lilies and you have a cat, keep it where the cat can’t reach: every part of a lily, even the pollen and vase water, can cause kidney failure in cats. If any part is eaten, call your veterinarian.
Choosing a vase
The right vase helps a bouquet last and look the way it was designed.
- Height: the vase should come up about a third to half of the way up the stems.
- Opening: a hand-tied bouquet wants a vase with a narrower neck so the spiral stays tight. A loose, garden-style bunch looks best in a wider mouth.
- Clean: wash it with hot, soapy water first. A little leftover bacteria from the last bouquet shortens this one’s life.
- No vase? A clean pitcher, mason jar or water bottle with the top cut off all work for now.
Quick fixes
Bouquet wilting the first night
It went too long without water. Re-cut the stems and give it fresh, cool water; most perk up in a few hours.
Bouquet flopping open in the vase
The vase mouth is too wide. Try a narrower vase, or tie the stems loosely with twine.
Water disappearing fast
Normal for the first day or two. Keep it topped up.
Cloudy water
Change it, rinse the vase and re-cut the stems.
Stems split or crushed at the bottom
Dull scissors. Cut again with a sharp blade.
Flowers dropping petals
Heat, sun or ripening fruit nearby. Move the vase.
Common questions
How do you care for a bouquet of flowers?
Trim the stems, put them in a clean vase of fresh water with flower food, change the water every two days, and keep them cool.
Do I take the rubber band off a bouquet?
On a hand-tied bouquet, leave the tie on so it keeps its shape. If a band is cutting into the stems, loosen it.
How long can a bouquet stay out of water?
A short trip in its wrap is fine, but get it into water within an hour or two, and never leave it in a hot car.
Should I cut the stems under water?
It helps, but it isn’t required. What matters most is a sharp, fresh cut and getting it into water right away.
More flower care guides
Vase Arrangements
Fresh flowers in water
Fresh water every other day, a fresh cut on the stems, and a cool spot out of the sun.
Read the guide →Roses
Rosa
Fresh cuts, clean water every two days, and a cool room keep roses open for a week or more.
Read the guide →Sunflowers
Helianthus annuus
Big, thirsty flowers. Keep the vase full and the water clean.
Read the guide →About pets and plants: The pet notes in this guide are general plant knowledge from our florists, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet chews or swallows any part of a plant, contact a licensed veterinarian right away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a person swallows any part of a plant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”1 Corinthians 3:7
Questions about your plant?
Call or text us. We are always glad to help, whether you bought it from us or not.
Call or text (984) 250-7771 Clayton Florist · 11440 Clayton Blvd, Clayton, NC 27520claytonncflorist.com