Beautiful Azaleas
Repost from 2022
Azaleas are just beautiful this time of the year. We have some on the front of our house and this year I thought I would cut some and bring them. Azaleas won’t last long as cut flowers, but they are so pretty I had to try.
Cut Flowers
I learned a lesson from an expert florist a few years ago about cutting flowers. He said never to pound the stems of cut flowers. Before learning that, I had always thought that you were supposed to smash the stems so they would take up more water. Not so! Flowers have a vascular system too! Anything you do that damages the vascular system will inhibit water uptake.
Fresh flower stems should be trimmed if left to dry for 30 minutes or longer. When flower stems are cut, they initiate a healing process akin to how your skin responds to injury. This healing process begins to seal the cut area, reducing water uptake.
Cutting the flower stems again helps them drink more water. If they’ve been in a vase for a day or two, trimming them again boosts water absorption. Cut the stems diagonally for more water intake area. Always trim stems from bought flowers.
Cutting Azaleas
It’s a given that azaleas as cut flowers won’t last long inside, but you can enjoy them for 2-3 days. I love to place some in different areas of the house and enjoy the blooms as long as they last. It’s not much trouble to step outside and cut a few every day or so and I get to enjoy them longer that way))
Azaleas in Vases
My azaleas are dark pink….or that’s what color I think they are)) My husband says they are red. Now I wish I had paid more attention to them when planted. I think they may be Encore Azaleas, but I’m not sure.
One of the azalea bushes didn’t make and we replaced it with what I thought was the same kind of bush, but it’s blooming on a little different schedule. It could be just that the bush hasn’t matured as much yet.
This is one of my favorite white stoneware pitchers. Carrie gave it to me a few years ago. I love the simplicity of it. No matter what you put in it….it looks good))) It is Peter’s Pottery and made right here in Mississippi.
The bathroom counter is another favorite place where I like to tuck a small arrangement of azaleas as cut flowers. Now, granted, no one ever sees this but me, but isn’t that what fresh flowers are all about? For one to enjoy themselves whether no one else sees them or not! My desk is another place I like to put fresh flowers. I like to use just a small glass container and keep things simple.
Check out this quick video where I demonstrate how to use azaleas as cut flowers in a small vase. These azaleas had short stems, and you know how anything with short stems tends to fall out of a container. But here’s a solution!
Flower Food
Another tip to make any cut flower last longer is to use flower food. There are recipes for homemade flower food, but your best bet is probably the packets you can purchase at places like Walmart.
Summary
Well, maybe I’m not the only one who enjoys a small container of flowers on my desk!
I don’t know if Browser is wistfully admiring my azaleas and hoping for me to finish this blog post so we can go outside for a walk!
What’s your favorite cut flower? I’d love to hear from you))
5/9/22 Update
Here’s a pic of the azaleas in the first vase, four days later. You can see how much water they had taken up, but they looked good! They were faded just a little, but still pretty. I tossed them on the 4th day because we were leaving town. Now that we have returned home, my azaleas in the yard are gone, so that’s all I’ll have for this year. But next year, I’m going to start cutting them early and bringing bouquets into the house)))