Testimonials

The flowers were really beautiful daw. Many Thanks to you. I knew I could trust you with taste. Thanks again!      -TinTin

The flowers are beautiful! Thanks!     -Cris

I owe you one, really made my girl very happy!     -Dan

I'm impressed with your service. Perfect timing and he really loved it!    -Mench

I arrived at the office to see perfectly arranged flowers, thank you very much! Made my day!    -Kat

You've done it again! Thanks for the great service!    -Bill

I heard about what you charged for my friend's wedding. I was impressed because the pricing is very reasonable and the arrangement was really great!  Too bad my wedding's done. I'll refer you to my sister!    -Anne

The flowers in the wedding  were lovely! Everyone was asking for your calling card!    -Ken

I am glad I left my flower requirements up to you. Your flowers really made my wedding!:D    -Cherry

How to care for your cut flowers

Caring for Your Fresh Flowers 

We all love to stare at beautiful flowers. But after a while, they start to wilt and we find ourselves wishing they could stay fresh longer. Maybe it is in the fact that its beauty is not forever that we tend to cherish it more. Nevertheless, there is always some added value and incremental joy in seeing that your flowers last longer than usual.

Lengthening the vase life of fresh flowers is a science mastered by growers and prestigious florists. Some consider it a trade secret, but personally, I think everybody deserves to be beholden to a thing of beauty just a little longer than a flower’s usual vase life. Here are some tips to enjoying your beautiful flowers longer:

If you bought flower straight from the flower shop or cut it from your own garden, place the stems immediately in water after cutting. Remember that they have been removed from their source of water, the root system, and will wilt quickly if not placed in water. Debby Sy, General Manager of one of the reputable flower shops in the country & professional lecturer for flower arrangement seminars, shares the following tips and techniques for caring for fresh flowers.

CUTTING
As a general rule, cut stems should be placed in water immediately, as air will rapidly move into the water-conducting tissues and plug the cells. Cuts can be made under-water to assure no air enters the stem. The cut should be made diagonally with a very sharp knife or scissors to maximize water-intake.

FLORAL FOOD
Commercial preservatives will increase the life of cut flowers and should always be used. Contrary to what many home remedy experts recommend, adding aspirin, wine, or pennies to cut flowers will not help to keep them fresh longer. Do not attempt a home-made concoction. A floral preservative is a complex mixture of sucrose; acidifier, an inhibitor of microorganisms; and a respiratory inhibitor. These elements work together to provide food for the flowers and inhibit the growth of bacteria and maximize water uptake.

Needless to say, bacteria blocks the stems and inhibits water uptake. Hence the basic rule in aiding the floral preservative in its functions, is to slow down microorganisms. Do this by keeping the vase or container always clean, and the water in it always clear. Also remove all leaves below the water surface, as they soon deteriorate. 

FLORAL GIFTS
If you receive a floral gift, you have no choice but to hope that the florist is a reputable one which means the flowers were conditioned properly before they were used in the arrangement. And so your primary task is to minimize the trauma that the flowers are experiencing due to its transport. 

In this case, check the water level of the container or vase immediately and add water as necessary. A reputable florist usually takes time to treat the water in the vase or in the floral foam with preservatives. In such a case, it is sufficient that you add water daily. If a pack of preservative is provided by the florist, then follow the instructions very carefully when you use it.


STORAGE
It is ideal that we place our flowers in front of us the whole day, be it on our work table, bedside, dining table, or living room. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to keep these places where we linger in the path of electric fan drafts. This is good for us because it keeps us cool but it dehydrates our cut flowers. You should keep flowers away from hot or cold air drafts and hot spots (radiators, direct heat, or television sets). While both drafts and hot spots increase water loss, hot spots reduce a flower's life by speeding transpiration (water loss) and respiration (use of stored food such as sugars) and increasing development (rate of petal unfolding). When away from home, move the flowers into the refrigerator or the coldest (above 35° F/1.5° C) spot in the house. Again, 
this will slow down water loss, respiration, and development.

Never store fruit and flowers together. Apples produce ethylene gas, a hormone that causes senescence, or aging, in flowers.

With these in mind, you may have a few more days to be mesmerized by the beauty of your flowers. To learn more about the care and preservation of flowers and the basics in arranging flowers, attend the free introductory seminar on flower arrangement conducted during weekends by THE FLOWER CART this coming July and September in the Debutante’s & Bridal Lounge in Eisenhower Street, Greenhills. The course includes lectures and a hands-on flower arrangement workshop where the participant is expected to create his/her own masterpiece and bring it home.

Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Introductory courses are free. For details and inquiries, contact Ashley at 2569972, 2560881 or 09173563953.