How long do roses last? Tips to keep your roses vibrant

Sending roses is a beautifully romantic gesture. And, with proper care, cut roses should last at least a week or even ten days. Read on for our florist's tips on how to get the best from your blooms.How to keep your roses alive longer

With fresh flowers, the idea is to supply the stem with water and nutrients to keep them blooming for longer. 

Location, location, location

If you've been inside a florist shop, you'll have noticed how cool they are. This is because flowers keep longer in cooler temperatures. This applies to roses too. So try not to place your bouquet near a radiator or on a windowsill in direct sunlight. You should also avoid placing roses near fruit bowls. Fruit releases ethylene gas, which can shorten their lifespan.

Tip: If they do wilt, you can revive roses by putting them in cold water for a few hours. Try a sink or even a champagne bucket!

Big is beautiful

Long-stemmed roses are stunning. But they need to be supported by the vase you select. Make sure the vase is at least half as tall as the stems themselves, so that it doesn't topple over with the weight.
The neck of the vase needs to be wide enough to be able to fit in your rose stems and heads without squashing them. For a wide neck, we recommend this Table Arrangement Vase by David Austin Roses. 

How to keep roses alive in a vase

Hydration heaven

It's important you change the water in your vase every two or three days. Is your water looking cloudy? This is a sign that bacteria is forming. Tip it out, wash out the vase and refill with fresh water. Then, to keep the water clean, head to the cocktail bar! Adding a few drops of vodka or lemon juice to the vase should do the trick.

A cut above

Rose stems are a little like paper straws – the ends can become mushy after a while. We recommend cutting off an inch of stem every five days or so to help them better soak up water.

Tip: Cut your rose stems with a sharp knife, pruners or floral shears, rather than dull scissors.

Feed them up

As well as watering your rose bouquet, you need to feed it to keep the flowers fresher for longer. Add flower food to keep them hydrated and healthy. Don't have any flower food? A weak solution of houseplant liquid fertilizer every week also works. Or read on for the sugar trick…

Does sugar help roses last longer?

If you don't have any flower food or fertilizer, you can use white sugar as a rose food. But be careful, as you need to balance it out with an anti-bacterial agent.

We suggest mixing one tablespoon of sugar with two tablespoons of white vinegar in a vase.

Can adding aspirin make roses last longer?

Some people swear that adding aspirin to vase water makes roses last longer. It's true that aspirin slows down the production of the substance which attempts to heal where the stem was cut. 

However we already treated our rose stems for this, so adding aspirin to plant water won't achieve anything.

What to do with rose petals when they fall

Why not make your own home-made potpourri? We love this rose potpourri recipe by Chemistry Cachet.

Our favourite rose bouquets

Roses are one of our favourite flowers to use in a bouquet. Here are some examples from our virtual flower shop to give you some inspiration:

The classic red rose

When it comes to generous, velvety red roses, the 'Naomi' rose is the ultimate choice. It has more petals than any other red rose:

A dome of delight

As exquisite as its namesake, our Marie Antoinette Bouquet combines four varieties of roses from sustainable farms. These are 'Pink Hera', 'Cool Water', 'White Avalanche' and the quintessential 'Red Naomi' rose.

Marie Antoinette Bouquet: the finer details 

Pastel perfection

If you want a bouquet to bring a smile to their face, how about the purple and pink magnificence of Tiffany's Bouquet? It combines 24 stems of the luxury varieties of 'Cool Water' and 'Miss Piggy'.

Tiffany's Bouquet: the finer details 

Next day rose bouquet delivery across the UK

We delivery stunning rose bouquets across the UK, using either FedEx or Yodel tracked service. If you order your hand tied rose bouquet before 3pm, we will deliver it the next day.

About Chelsea Florals

We are an independent, family-run business delivering hand tied bouquets across the UK. Behind every bouquet name lies a story, inspired by everything from far-flung destinations to sights closer to home.

We carefully source seasonal flowers of the highest quality in our bouquets, following the design as closely as the current month allows.

Browse our full bouquet collection