Best Ways to Dispose of Old Flowers

Even after your floral arrangement has begun to wither and die, there is a good chance that the flowers can be repurposed in several different ways. Before you throw out your vase full of dying flowers, read this guide from your local flower shop in San Francisco, CA to learn about creative things you can do with both the vase and the flowers after they have started to die.

  • Make potpourri: Flowers such as carnations, roses, larkspur and baby breath are great when repurposed as potpourri, so make sure to remove these before throwing an arrangement away. Rubber band the stems together and hang them upside down until they have completely dried out. Remove the flower heads from the stems, then press them, and you will have a perfectly suitable potpourri arrangement that can be placed anywhere in your home.
  • Start a compost pile: Starting a compost heap with your dead flowers is a solution for repurposing dying arrangements that also provides an organic boost for the soil in your garden. Gather the dead flowers and greenery from the arrangement and add them to a pile of grass clippings and a couple of shredded newspapers. You can add vegetable and fruit peelings to the pile as well. Spray the heap with a bit of water to encourage the decomposition process, add other clippings and food scraps as you’re able and in a few short months you will have created a compost pile that can be used to help your garden grow.
  • Reuse the container: Just because the flowers in an arrangement have died doesn’t mean that the vase is useless. In fact, you can not only reuse the vase for future arrangements, but the floral foam that holds the flowers as well. To keep the floral foam hydrated, soak it in water. You can then put together a new arrangement with fresh flowers and put them into the floral foam and vase for display.
  • New arrangements: There may be some flowers in an arrangement that are still vibrant long after the others have died. You can take the flowers that are still alive out of the dying arrangement, cut an inch off the stems and let them sit in ice water. These flowers will then be ready for a reshuffle in a smaller arrangement that looks as good as new.

To learn about other creative ways to reuse your dying flower arrangements, pay us a visit at The Delicate Daisy – House of Flowers. With countless floral arrangements and custom bouquets to choose from, our experienced staff can help you select flowers that look and smell great now and can be repurposed as they age. For over 75 years we have served as a leading flower shop in San Francisco, CA, and we are ready to take care of all your floral needs. Whether you need a gorgeous bouquet for a wedding or a simple arrangement for your dining room table, make sure you give us a call right away. We look forward to assisting you!

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