Guide to Harvesting Flowers for a Bouquet
Creating a beautiful flower bouquet from your garden is a rewarding experience. Follow this step-by-step Hong Kong florist guide to ensure you harvest your flowers properly and maintain their freshness.
Timing of Harvesting
Best Time: Harvest flowers in the early morning or late afternoon when temperatures are cooler. This is when flowers are most hydrated.
Choosing the Right Weather: Aim to pick flowers on a dry day. This helps prevent the risk of diseases and wilting.
Tools and Preparation
Gather Supplies: Have a sharp pair of scissors or garden shears, a clean bucket of water, and a small container for transporting your blooms.
Clean the Tools: Before you start, ensure your cutting tools are clean to avoid transmitting bacteria to the flowers.
Selecting Flowers
Choose Healthy Blooms: Look for flowers that are free of pests and diseases. They should be fully opened or just starting to open for optimal display.
Mix Flowers: Incorporate a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours to create an aesthetically pleasing bouquet.
Harvesting Techniques
Cutting Method: Hold the flower stem firmly and cut at an angle. This increases the surface area for water absorption.
Length of Stem: Leave enough length on the stem for arranging and placing in water. Typically, cutting stems 15-30 cm in length works well.
Removing Leaves: Strip off any leaves that will be submerged in water to prevent rotting.
Post-Harvest Care
Immediate Watering: Place the cut flowers immediately into the bucket of water to prevent wilting.
Acidified Water: Consider adding a tablespoon of sugar or a commercial floral preservative to keep the flowers fresh.
Recut Stems: Before arranging, trim the ends of the stems again—this allows better water absorption.
Arranging Your Bouquet
Build a Base: Start with larger flowers to create a base, gradually adding smaller blooms for texture.
Rotate as You Arrange: Continuously turn the bouquet as you add flowers to maintain an even distribution of colour and shape.
Finishing Touch: Add greenery or filler flowers to enhance the bouquet's fullness.
Long-Term Care
Watering: Change the water every few days, recutting stems at an angle to maintain freshness.
Temperature and Light: Keep the bouquet in a cool place away from direct sunlight to prolong its beauty.
By following these guidelines, you can enjoy a stunning arrangement created from your own garden blooms, adding a personal touch to any occasion.
