A box of fresh Ecuadorian roses is designed to be savoured for as long as possible. With a few minutes of simple care, your roses will reward you for a week or more. Here is exactly what to do, from the moment the box arrives.
1. Start with a spotlessly clean vase
Bacteria are the main enemy of cut flowers. Wash your vase properly, then fill it about three-quarters full with cool, fresh water. Dissolve the rose food in the water first, before the roses go in.
2. Trim the stems at a 45-degree angle
Lift each rose from the box and remove its water vial. Using sharp scissors or secateurs, cut one to two centimetres off each stem at a 45-degree angle. The angled cut increases the surface area through which the rose drinks and stops the stem sitting flat against the bottom of the vase.
3. No leaves below the waterline
Remove any foliage that would sit underwater. Submerged leaves rot quickly, feed bacteria and shorten the life of every stem in the vase.
4. Choose the spot with care
Roses last longest somewhere cool, away from direct sunlight, radiators and draughts — and away from the fruit bowl. Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas, which ages flowers prematurely.
5. Refresh every two days
Every couple of days, change the water completely, rinse the vase, and re-trim the stems by another centimetre. This one habit makes a bigger difference than anything else on this list.
6. Revive a drooping rose
If a rose head begins to droop early, it usually means an air bubble has blocked the stem. Re-cut the stem at a steep angle and place it in deep water for a few hours — it will often lift again completely.
Why our roses have a head start
Every Lunare Roses stem travels in its own water vial, keeping it drinking from our atelier to your door — so your roses begin their vase life properly hydrated, not recovering from a dry journey. Combined with the natural longevity of high-altitude Ecuadorian roses, that is why they last visibly longer than ordinary shop flowers.
Choose your colour — ordered by 12pm, delivered tomorrow, anywhere in the UK including Northern Ireland.