It’s Valentine’s Day and a beautiful arrangement arrives at your home, handmade from a designer at Allan Woods Flowers. You’re a parent, or a partner, or a sibling, or a friend –  no matter who you are, you are loved. The arrangement is stunning, with massive pink garden roses, burgundy tulips, vanda orchids all throughout the arrangement, and you feel so much joy and gratitude to receive something so thoughtful.

But then a few days go by, your arrangement sits idle and then you notice some petals start to fall. Those gorgeous roses, tulips, and orchids begin to wilt, and you’re left wondering, what went wrong?

The truth? Most flowers don’t begin to fade because they are delicate, but because they are misunderstood.

Here’s how we can help. We know that taking care of a gorgeous arrangement can be a daunting task, so we have created a guide to limit the stress of upkeep of your floral arrangement. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to take care of your fresh cut floral arrangement and provide special tips that our designers rely on daily.

Whether your arrangement is low or tall, medium or large, we have everything you will need to ensure longevity for your blooms.

How to Guide: Flower Arrangement Care Instructions

Stem Care

Trimming your flowers upon arrival is the single most important aspect to ensuring the health and vitality of your special valentine surprise. When the arrangement arrives, you will need to trim the ends of the flowers. You can do this with kitchen shears, a utility knife (please be careful!), or just use your handy-dandy scissors, to do this. But the key here is to do it at an angle so that the flowers can soak up as much water and nutrients as they need. We recommend asking a loved one for support with this step as it would help maintain the integrity of the arrangement.

Step 1

• With two hands, have someone grab the arrangement right under the petals and gently clasp the stems and lift the arrangement out of the vase.
• Take your shears of choice and cut diagonally about an 1 ½ inch off from the end of the flowers to ensure the stems reopen so they can soak up nutrients. 
• Remove any leaves that fall below the water line.

Water

Water is crucial for all living beings, including your flowers. Fresh cut flowers must be kept in water at all times and we provide you with some flower food packets to keep them happy. It’s important to note that when you are adding new fresh water to your arrangement, you do want to fill it all the way up. Feel free to leave yourself an inch of space at the top, but your arrangement will drink a lot of the water quickly so don’t be afraid to fill your vase.

Step 2

• Keep your flowers hydrated at all times and check on your water levels daily.
• Change your water every day with fresh, cold temperature water.
• Always clean your vase to limit bacteria growth.
• Use the entire flower food packet.
• Place your arrangement back in the cleaned vase with fresh water.

Placement

Finding the right spot to place your flowers is integral to the durability of your arrangement. Any heat source, whether that is from the sun, a lamp, fireplaces, radiators, near an oven, or under a vent, could cause your arrangement to wilt immediately. It’s also important to keep your flowers away from ripening fruit, as the gases could release and cause your arrangement to fade faster.

Step 3

• Find a nice spot in your house that is away from direct heat.
• Ensure there are not any vents directly pointing at the arrangement.

General Tips

It’s important to mention that some flowers just naturally open or fade faster than others – that’s the beauty of nature. If that happens, it’s better to remove the flowers that are beginning to fade to ensure that the remaining blooms continue to stay healthy. 

Step 4

• Check on your flowers daily. You want to ensure nothing out of the ordinary is happening and observe them so that they are getting everything they need.
• Remove any flowers that are beginning to fade.

Now, with these tools, when your Valentine’s Day surprise arrives at your home, you have everything you need to keep your sweet gift healthy, happy, vibrant, and full of life. No matter who you are, a parent, spouse, or a sibling, we hope you feel celebrated and cared for this special season.

Haven’t had a chance to get your special someone a gift for Valentine’s Day? Well, look no further than our latest collection.

Feel free to place your order online, but if you have any questions be sure to give us a call and we would be happy to help you with anything you may need.

Be sure to tag us on Instagram at @allanwoodsflowers with your Valentine’s Day surprise, we’d love to see you and your arrangement!

From all of us at Allan Woods Flowers, we wish you, yours, and your loved ones an especially heartfelt Valentine’s Day. Be sure to shop our Valentine’s Day 2026 Collection, here.