Back for the fourth instalment of Bryonia’s Sustainability Series, and this time we are set to review our thoughts around cut flowers & their vase life.

Within this post, I will be discussing how expectations of the lifespan of a fresh & natural product need to be more realistic, and better managed by those in the industry, alongside the factors that affect vase life, such as the distance flowers have travelled, weather or the use of artificial & chemical extenders.

Much of what has been discussed below, is supported by industry research, including quotes, sources and links where applicable. This allows for a more fact based reading, and allows any readers to look through alternative articles for further information on the topic.

*A gift bouquet of seasonal British flowers, including dahlias, asparagus, atriplex, cosmos and feverfew.*

This Journal entry is here to help with education, and support in choosing what flowers (or none) might be right for you. To others in the flower industry, this entry is purely to aid conscious consumption, and I do not wish to place disrespect on your choices to either stock, or not stock any of these mentioned products.

At this critical point, whether a supplier or customer, we need to question the environmental impact we’re making and it's science we need to go to make these choices.

So what does vase life depend on?

You get your flowers home and can’t wait to enjoy them as they unfurl and open. But what would you say is a fair life expectancy for each of these blooms?
In all honesty, **the vase life can completely vary based on a large number of factors**, for example:
**Growing conditions**
*Climate, altitude, soil type, harvest time… It all impacts on each flower’s eventual vase life. The growing journey of a flower from the very early stages is super important*
**Conditioning**
This is usually undertaken by florists, and in simple terms means preparing the flowers. Typically by cutting the stems and stripping off lower leaves, but some flowers are a bit more fussy than others and require additional care
**Aftercare**
*The customer continues to care for the flowers once they get them home, our recommended steps can be found here in our* *Care Guide*
**Chemicals & preservatives**
*Flower food, bleach, sugar other extenders are sometimes promoted and used to prevent the growth of bacteria & provide flowers with nourishment*
**Where the flowers have come from**
*Time in transit is key. Flowers could be travelling thousands of miles and be without water for days, all of which can shorten their cut lifespans*
**What type of flower they are**
The variety and cultivar affects vase life. Plus each individual flower has it’s own care needs, and some are quicker bloomers than others. Also the stage of development at which it is best cut varies for each flower
**The time of year & seasonality**
*If the flowers are in season, they’re more likely to be cut at their best. Otherwise they will have been forced to grow in an artificial environment which can make them short lived bloomers*
**Weather**
*Extreme weather is more likely to cause flowers to perish quicker. Climate change and global warming are therefore making the predicability of cut flower vase life much more uncertain*
And there’s probably more I’ve missed!

Artificial extenders and preservatives

One to focus on specifically. At Bryonia, we don’t provide our customers with flower food, preservative sachets or other chemical extenders.
“These usually contain a biocide to control the bacterial growth; surfuctants, which help to quickly rehydrate flowers because a reduction of the surface tension of water improves water uptake and a sugar as an energy source. The most commonly used and efficient solution is the so-called “standard preservative”, composed of sucrose and 8-hydroxyquinilone citrate (8-HQC) .” - Julita Rabiza-Swider, 2020
We do this because we believe that by following our care guide you can continue to enjoy your blooms for days, and why artificially alter the natural process of decay.
By retrimming stems, freshening water and leaving out of sunlight, your flowers can continue to bloom in your homes.
We also love for all our flowers to be compostable, and many chemical compounds can then filter back into our soils which we would like to avoid in all circumstances.
**The earth’s need to be less stressed is greater than our own to watch flowers bloom for an additional week.**

Fresh flowers are exactly that, fresh, meaning they are a living product and need nurturing to delay decay, much like vegetables, food and other perishables.

They are transient moments of beauty, and will need looking after to ensure we can enjoy them whilst they are here.

But too often, it seems many of our expectations may have become unrealistic when it comes to these timeframes…

Our Expecations

Some flowers wilt pretty quickly and others thrive for weeks. Ranunculus has a long vase life, whereas a dahlia might not travel well and drop petals in just a few days.
**Does that make one flower more beautiful than another**? Or simply, the time that we get to admire them is even more precious? And isn’t seeing a flower change and develop part of it’s beauty too?
Watching their petals uncurl, any colours deepen and fade, and stems begin the bend towards the earth they came from.
**As a grower, the pressure to grow long lasting stems does help to improve the quality of cut flowers across the industry**. But it is also hard to manage these expectations, as they are purely impossible in many cases.
We are cultivating and hosting a natural product, but we aren’t magicians, and **we are still at the hands of natures wishes with any flowers we obtain**.

Why is it that cut flowers have such an unrealistic life expectation? As personally, I feel there is a simple & freeing pleasure in allowing a flower to do what it likes and just being a witness to it’s adventure.

Education is key in this area, as it can never be the customers fault that we have been taught to assume that cut flowers should last for weeks. This misinformation of expectations for a natural product needs to be addressed. Within the industry, more open conversations are required, and additionally a degree of flexibility is needed, whatever stage of the flower you come into contact because as we’ve seen so many things can impact on their lifespan.

As florists, we are only one part of the supply chain, sometimes it can be hard to know what the flowers have experienced before they land in our care unless we work with growers directly. The transparency of this growing journey needs to be improved, with clearer descriptions & labelling across the industry.

It’s hard as a florist, if a customer contacting you to complain about the vase life of their blooms. Usually the comments is that the flowers are wilting or dead after a few days, but you know you’ve done everything in your power in the flower’s journey. So then it is down to? Possibly what aftercare was missed? Or did the flower have a stressful growing experience?

From there, how do you recoup the costs for this type of life span complaint? Typically you don’t, and the expectation is that you will refund the flowers or that you will make another bunch free of charge, which can leave many florists out of pocket. Again, this can help us to strengthen the cut flower industry as we wish to form stronger connections with our growers to reduce the chances of this happening. Which is why, using a locally grown & natural product can become a much more enticing option. As there, we can speak with the growers one on one to understand the flowers journey and see their condition first hand.

But regardless of how long flowers last for, I always feel that their beauty is worth admiring even if it’s for the shortest amount of time.

From here onwards, it’s your decision if you do choose to buy any cut flowers (either as a customer or as a florist). But if you do, you should always look to:

Ask questions about the origin of your flowers, and consider that some locally grown & less stressed flowers might last longer
Research certification schemes, and what they mean for how flowers were grown & transported (such as environmental, human rights or fair pay etc)
Look to understand the chemical & pesticide treatment of any flowers
Review aftercare guides for the individual flowers in your bouquets, and ask your florists about specific care tips
Take time to respect something natural has a will of it’s own, which can be out of our control

Sustainability Series 04: Flower Vase Life

So what does vase life depend on?

Artificial extenders and preservatives

Our Expecations

And you could also look to…

Further reading & sources