How to keep your flowers fresh in the heatwave

Make sure your flowers stay blooming beautiful in the heat

Want to know how to keep your flowers fresh? This week Britain is set to reach some of the highest temperatures for more than 100 years; with the whole nation on heatwave alert preparing for the country to hit 30C.

Whilst a whole host of advice is available to mere mortals on how to cope in the heat – our recommendation is to invest in one of the best fans on the market and to add a cooling mattress topper to your bed – it's not only humans feeling the heat; flowers will wilt just as quickly in overly warm temperatures, and with this in mind tech-first florists Bloom & Wild have prepared five easy tips to keep flowers fresh this week and for the rest of Summer.

Visit our dedicated advice page for more how to guides, DIY projects and care and cleaning tips

dining table with pink rose and multi coloured cushions

(Image credit: Bloom & Wild)

How to keep your flowers fresh

1. Place stems in tepid or lukewarm water as they will enjoy this more and absorb the water more quickly than cold, keeping your flowers hydrated!

2. In this heat, trim 5cm from the base of the stem to remove any blockages and creating a new permeable drinking area. Don't forget to always cut at an angle to increase the surface area.

girl cutting white flower stems

(Image credit: Bloom & Wild)

3. Bacteria breeds within dirty vases, and the heat welcomes this breeding! Make sure you clean your vases really thoroughly with anti-bacterial wash to sterilise them. Don’t leave any leaves or bits in your water, only perfectly trimmed stems. Bits of greenery and leaves will rot in the water, especially in the heat and breed bacteria that will shorten the life of your flowers.

vase with purple flower on brown table

(Image credit: Bloom & Wild)

4. Keep flowers as cool as possible. Changes in temperature can make blooms die quicker, i.e. a room with sun that moves around the room can have a negative effect. The sun also evaporates the water in your blooms and stems, so keep them out of direct sunlight.

5. Choose a wider neck vase than the width of the flowers, which allows air around the stems and prevents mould building.

We hope you manage to keep your flowers fresh with this helpful guide.

Deputy Editor

Jennifer is the Deputy Editor (Digital) for Homes & Gardens online. Prior to her current position, she completed various short courses a KLC Design School, and wrote across sister brands Ideal Home, LivingEtc, 25 Beautiful Homes, Country Homes & Interiors, and Style at Home.