Flower Care the Curious Way - Flower Care Tips from Your Local Balmain Florist
- Catherine O'Sullivan
- Dec 27, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 27, 2025
A Simple Guide to Making Flowers Last Longer & Flower Bloom Times
Fresh flowers have a magical way of brightening a space, lifting moods and marking life's special moments. At The Curious Rabbit Flower Shop, we believe beautiful flowers deserve thoughtful care so they can be enjoyed for as long as possible.
From fresh water and gentle stem trimming to knowing when to rearrange your blooms, flower care is a small ritual that helps flowers last longer and look beautiful throughout their life. As a local Balmain florist, we design our bouquets using seasonal flowers selected for longevity, movement and character, so they continue to bring joy well beyond the first day.
In this guide, we share our best flower care tips, including advice on how long different flowers last, simple ways to extend vase life, and sustainable florist secrets to help you enjoy every bloom and reduce waste. Welcome to our flower care tips, shared from our studio to your home, with a touch of wonder and a whole lot of heart.
Choosing the Right Flowers for Every Occasion
The secret to long-lasting flowers starts before they arrive home. Different occasions suit different blooms and selecting the right flowers can make all the difference to how well they hold up in the vase.
Whether you’re choosing birthday flowers, marking a special milestone with anniversary flowers, welcoming a little one with new baby flowers and gifts, or sending sympathy flowers.
It all starts with buying fresh, seasonal flowers from The Curious Rabbit Flower Shop in Balmain, with reliable flower delivery across Balmain and Sydney’s Inner West. The loveliest starting point for blooms that truly last.
How to Care For Flowers at Home
Caring for flowers is a little like tending a secret garden, simple rituals, done often, make all the difference. No matter the flower type, these steps will help extend the life of your flowers.
When your flowers arrive, gently remove the wrapping and their temporary water source. You can leave the bouquet tied so it keeps its lovely shape and then it’s time to begin the simple, thoughtful steps that help your blooms settle in and shine.
Trim stems on an angle - Cut 2-3cm off the stems at a 45 degree angle using sharp scissors or secateurs. This helps flowers absorb water more easily.
Use a clean vase - Bacteria shortens flower life. Always wash your vase thoroughly before arranging flowers.
Remove leaves below the water line - Leaves sitting in water encourage bacteria growth. This little detail is always taken care of in our Balmain studio, but it’s a gentle habit worth remembering if you ever bring flowers home from a market stall or supermarket.
Fresh water daily - Change the water every day or two, topping up with fresh, cool water.
Keep flowers cool - Avoid placing arrangements in direct sunlight, near heaters, or close to air conditioning and fruit bowls.
A Curious Florist’s Way to Enjoy Your Bouquet Longer
In a mixed fresh flower bouquet, no two flowers behave quite the same. As certain blooms begin to fade, gently take your arrangement apart and remove the fading stems. Rearrange the remaining flowers, perhaps in a smaller vase, or even a simple jar. Repeat this little ritual as each flower reaches its moment.
You may be surprised by how long your flowers can continue to bring joy. Never waste a stem. Even the smallest gathering of leftover blooms can still brighten a corner of your home, and it's a beautiful step toward sustainability. Flowers remind us to enjoy beauty in the moment and that's part of their magic.
How Long do Different Flowers Last - And What Makes Each One Special
Vase Life of Popular Flowers
With a little care and a touch of patience, most cut flowers will happily last between seven and twelve days. Think of this as their gentle window of wonder, some blooms linger a little longer, others take their bow sooner. Below you’ll find a guide to how long some of our most beloved flowers like to stay and be admired.
Roses – 5–7 days: Classic and romantic, roses like fresh water and a little space to slowly unfurl, as though keeping a secret until the right moment.
Tulips – 3–5 days: Playful and curious, tulips continue to grow and bend toward the light, never quite staying where you first place them.
Lilies – 7–14 days: Patient and dramatic, each bloom opens in its own time, making a single stem feel like an unfolding story.
Gerberas – 4–6 days: Cheerful and bright, these happy faces prefer shallow water and a clean vase to keep them standing tall.
Chrysanthemums – 10–14 days: Dependable and generous, chrysanthemums quietly outlast most others, offering beauty long after the party ends.
Carnations - 10 - 14 days: Often underestimated, carnations are excellent value flowers with impressive vase life and resilience..
Peonies - 5 - 7 days: Showy and elegant, a very delicate flower, so handle with care.
Sunflowers - 6 - 12 days: Always vibrant and cheerful, place sunflowers away from direct heat and sunlight to help them last longer.
Australian Natives – 10–14+ days: Wild-hearted and resilient, native flowers thrive with minimal fuss and often dry beautifully once their fresh days are done.
Extra Flower Care Tips for Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas (my favourite flower) are the romantics of the flower world, beautiful, dramatic and very thirsty.
Hydrangeas drink a lot of water, so check their vase daily and top up as needed
Re-cut stems often, especially if they begin to droop
They drink through their heads as well as their stems
Lightly mist the flower heads with water to help keep them fresh and hydrated
If they wilt, fully submerge the entire flower head in cool water for 20–30 minutes, they often revive beautifully
A Note on Lily Care
If your bouquet includes lilies, remove the pollen stamens (the orange bits) as soon as they open. This prevents them from staining the petals (or your clothes!) and helps the flower last longer.
Why Flower Freshness Matters
At The Curious Rabbit Flower Shop, we source fresh, seasonal flowers as locally as possible. Fresher flowers mean longer-lasting arrangements, better colour and stronger stems. This is why locally made bouquets often outlast supermarket flowers - less travel time equals more vase life at home.
Flower freshness begins at the source, which is why we proudly support the Grown Not Flown initiative. Choosing locally grown flowers is kinder to the planet, supports Australian flower farmers, and means your bouquet reflects the natural rhythm of the seasons, a thoughtful gift that feels just right, right now.
Looking for Long-Lasting Flowers in Balmain?
Flower Delivery Balmain and Inner West Sydney
When you are ready to choose flowers, explore our seasonal arrangements online at The Curious Rabbit Flower Shop, your local Balmain florist. We offer thoughtful flower delivery across Balmain, including Balmain East, Birchgrove, Rozelle, Lilyfield, Annandale, Glebe, Leichhardt and Sydney’s Inner West, with each bouquet designed in our Balmain studio using fresh, seasonal blooms selected for beauty and longevity. Whether it’s a gift or a little moment of joy for yourself, your flowers will arrive ready to be enjoyed and cared for from day one.
Comments