How To care for your Roses.
By following these 8 simple steps you will be able to gain the maximum vase life out of your roses.

1. Firstly use a clean vase or container and fill it with lukewarm tap water.
2. Add some floral preservative to the water according to the directions given. You should be able to get floral food/preservative from your local florist or by contacting us. We recommend using Chrysal Clear cut flower food for optimum vase life and quality. Floral preservatives provides sugars, balances pH, and limits bacterial growth.
3. Remove any water vials which may have been shipped with your roses. These provide only a temporary water source during delivery. However, do not remove floral wires which may have been attached to individual rose stems. These provide helpful support for some roses.
4. Remove any foliage from the roses that will be below the waterline of the container, being careful not to scrape or cut through the green bark of the stems. Air may enter stems at such injuries, blocking water uptake. Leaves left under water will cause bacteria to develop and will significantly shorten the life of your roses.
5. Fill a sink or wide container with several inches of warm water. While holding each stem under water, cut about 2 - 3cm (one inch) diagonally off the end with a sharp knife or shears and immediately place the roses into your water filled container. This prevents any air lock forming at the bottom of the stems, which could prevent the flower form drawing up the water.
6. Gently remove any outermost petals which may have been bruised during shipping. Removing a few petals will not damage a blossom and will often help it open more fully.
7. Position and display your roses in a cool spot, out of direct sunlight and any extreme temperature areas. Avoid keeping your roses near fresh fruit. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas which will significantly reduce the life of your roses.
8. Check your roses daily and add more preservative and fresh water as needed. The water should be changed every 3 to 4 days and the roses recut for optimum vase life.

If your roses are delivered arranged in florist foam or other filler material, add water immediately but slowly to properly saturate the material. Check the foam and add water daily in order to keep the foam saturated.

If your roses remain tight and are not blooming, or you would like to accelerate the blooming process, recut the roses as described above and place them into hot (not boiling) water. You may also place a paper or plastic bag over the roses for an hour or two to encourage the roses to bloom.

Premature Wilting
If your roses begin to wilt within a day or two of receiving them, it may be an indication that there is air trapped in the stem. This air is preventing preservative solution form moving up the flower. There may also be a scrape or cut in the bark above the water level.

Re-cut the stem an inch or so from the bottom or above any damaged area of the stem. Submerge the entire rose in a basin of warm to hot water (about 50-60 degrees C). It should usually revive within an hour or so and can be replaced in the arrangement.