Mastering flower care and handling is essential for keeping your beautiful blooms vibrant and fresh, especially in the warm climate of Phoenix, AZ. Discover actionable PJ’s Flowers care tips and common flower care myths — read on to get the facts. From flower hydration tips and temperature control to care after delivery—these will drastically extend the lifespan of your floral arrangements.
The Importance of Flower Care and Handling in the Desert
For over four decades, PJs Flowers has served as the premier award-winning florist across the Valley, delivering fresh, hand-designed arrangements. Whether you are setting up a weekly corporate subscription or received a stunning “just because” bouquet, you want your flowers to last as long as possible. The hot, arid climate of Phoenix presents unique challenges for cut flowers, making proper handling, hydration, and temperature control critical. By learning a few simple professional techniques, you can transform your home or office into a long-lasting floral oasis.
Step 1: The Golden Rule of Hydration
The very first thing you should do upon receiving a fresh bouquet from PJs Flowers is to make sure the container is full of water. Flowers are living, breathing entities that rely on continuous moisture to stay vibrant.
Step 2: Flower Food Myths: Fact vs. Fiction.
Any arrangement from PJs Flowers will already have flower food. We buy the most expensive flower food in the world, and it makes a difference. When you start with the Colorado River, we want to make sure the blooms we send out are drinking the good stuff. Here are the myths you hear. Add aspirin to the water. Aspirin will lower the PH in the water, which will help with water uptake for the stems, but it doesn’t work. You have the wrong dose of aspirin, and you don’t know how much water is in the vase. Vinegar has the same effect, lowering the PH level.
We don’t like how it tastes, and we aren’t sure the flowers like the taste either. Add a Penny to the water: A penny in flower water is an old trick intended to keep blooms fresh and prevent drooping. The copper penny would act as an antimicrobial agent that kills bacteria. However, this method is largely an old wives’ tale because only US pennies minted before 1982 contain enough copper (95%) to have an effect. Pennies made after 1982 are zinc-plated and won’t help your flowers. They don’t even make pennies anymore. So if you have some, make sure to check the date…
Add Vodka to the water: The alcohol in vodka will kill bacteria and reduce ethylene gas buildup. Add too much, and it’s very bad for your blooms. How much do you use? So, let’s make it easy: keep your vodka in your martini.
Add sugar to the water: Sugar will help “feed” the flowers, helping them open and develop. You add sugar to flower water to nourish the stems and encourage buds to open fully. Because cut flowers can no longer produce their own food through photosynthesis, sugar acts as a vital substitute. However, sugar also feeds bacteria. How much is enough? Pro tip from PJs Flowers: keep the sugar for the cookies.
Add bleach to the water: Putting a tiny amount of bleach in your flower water kills bacteria and algae. This prevents harmful buildup from clogging the flower stems, allowing the blooms to absorb water and stay fresh for much longer. If you get some on your shirt, please don’t call and tell us; we didn’t suggest you do this. Bleach should stay by the washing machine.
Step 3: Choose the Perfect Placement
Where you display your flowers in your home or office makes a massive difference in how long they last. In Phoenix, where temperatures and air conditioning run high, environmental control is everything. Keep your arrangements away from direct sunlight, AC vents, and ceiling fans. These environmental factors accelerate moisture loss, causing delicate petals to dry out, wilt, and fade prematurely.
Step 4: Keep it Cool
Not all flowers react to the Phoenix climate in the same way. If you are planning an event or purchasing flowers to last, knowing which varieties hold up best in the desert heat is a game changer. Tropical flowers like anthuriums, orchids, birds of paradise, and ginger have robust, waxy petals that retain moisture exceptionally well. However, those waxy stems like moisture, so mist them daily.
More delicate flowers like peonies, roses, and tulips may require diligent hydration and a cooler environment to prevent them from opening and dropping too quickly. If you receive an arrangement from any florist in floral foam, you can’t see the container needs water. They often don’t get the water they need to survive.
Conclusion
By implementing these professional flower care and handling tips, you ensure that your floral gifts, corporate arrangements, or home accents remain breathtaking and vibrant. PJsFlowers takes immense pride in providing Phoenix with top-tier floral designs and award-winning artistry.
By following these simple steps and keeping water clean and arrangements in cool, draft-free areas, you maximize the lifespan of your beautiful florals.
If you want to choose the perfect arrangement for an upcoming occasion, let the team at PJs Flowers know. We like to know if the arrangement is for a home, office, or a special event. What is the occasion (birthday, anniversary, sympathy, or client gift)? Do you have a color palette or specific flower type in mind? We can help you select or customize the perfect PJs Flowers design!
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