Fresh flowers should feel like a deep breath. Below is exactly how we prep and condition every bouquet in our Orewa shop — and the simple steps you can follow at home to keep them gorgeous for longer.
How we care for flowers in-store
1) We start spotless.
Every vase and bucket is cleaned and sanitised before any stems touch water.
2) We re-cut every stem at a sharp angle.
An angled cut exposes fresh tissue so stems drink freely.
3) We condition flowers cool and calm.
Most cut flowers rest in a cool room to hydrate before they’re designed or delivered.
4) We use professional flower food — and include it with every bouquet.
Preservative feeds stems and keeps water clear. You’ll always find a sachet tucked in with your Flowers by Joanne bouquet.
Flower care at home: the 6 rules that matter
1) Clean vase + fresh water + the food we provide.
Wash your vase, fill with fresh water, and stir in the sachet we include. Top up daily.
2) Strip leaves below the waterline.
Submerged foliage decays fast and clouds the water.
3) Trim 2–3 cm off stems at an angle.
Use clean, sharp secateurs. Re-trim and refresh water every 2–3 days.
4) Keep them cool — and away from fruit.
Display away from sun, heaters and draughts; ripening fruit emits ethylene which shortens vase life.
5) Change the water regularly.
Top up daily; full refresh every couple of days (rinse vase, add food, quick re-cut).
6) No sachet left?
Use a small fallback: clean vase + fresh water; change frequently.
Quick tips for popular blooms
Roses
Remove only bruised outer “guard petals”; keep the pretty ones.
Woody stems love a fresh angled cut.
Lilies
Snip off stamens once open to prevent stains.
Pet safety: lilies are highly toxic to cats.
Tulips
Tulips keep growing in the vase and lean to light. Wrap loosely in paper and stand in deep water overnight if you need them straight; keep cool.
Hydrangeas
If heads droop, re-cut and try a brief hot-water dip on stem ends, then let them rehydrate in cool water.
Gerberas (Gerbera daisies)
Keep the crown (the base of the flower head) dry — water in the crown encourages rot.
Use shallow vase water so just the bottom of the stems sit in solution; refresh often.
Avoid splashing the blooms and handle by the stem, not the flower head; gerberas are sensitive to bacterial buildup, so cleanliness matters. Florists' ReviewGardenia
Troubleshooting
Cloudy water fast? Clean the vase thoroughly, refresh with food, and re-cut stems.
Floppy stems on arrival? Re-cut and hydrate somewhere cool for a few hours before arranging.
Mixed bouquets aging unevenly? Remove fading stems promptly so they don’t affect the rest.
The Flowers by Joanne difference
From sanitised buckets and cool-room conditioning to careful stem prep and quick delivery across the Hibiscus Coast, our team follows best-practice floristry so your bouquet arrives fresh — and stays that way. And yes — we always include flower food.
30-second care checklist
Clean vase + fresh water + our food
Remove leaves below waterline
Angle-cut 2–3 cm from stems
Keep cool; avoid sun, heaters and fruit
Top up daily; refresh fully every 2–3 days
Spot-treat by flower (roses’ guard petals, lily pollen, tulip wrap, hydrangea hot-water dip, gerbera crown kept dry).
