In our last post, we covered how to make a bouquet last longer in Dubai's heat. This time, let's flip it around: here are ten everyday habits that quietly cut a bouquet's life short, and how to avoid them.
The 10 mistakes
Skipping the stem trim. A stem that's never recut can't absorb water properly. Cut about 2 cm off at an angle with clean shears as soon as you get your flowers.
Leaving leaves below the waterline. Submerged leaves rot within hours and cloud the water with bacteria. Strip anything that would sit below the surface.
Using cloudy or old vase water. Water left for a few days breeds bacteria you can't see. If it looks murky or smells off, it's already working against your flowers.
Setting the vase under a direct AC vent. Dry, blasting air pulls moisture out of petals fast, especially in Dubai. Keep the bouquet away from vents and fans.
Leaving the bouquet in direct sunlight. A sunny windowsill looks lovely but heats the water and stresses the flowers. A bright spot out of direct sun is safer.
Placing it next to a fruit bowl. Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas, which speeds up wilting. Keep flowers and fruit bowls apart.
Cramming too many stems into one small vase. Overcrowded stems compete for water and bruise each other. Give each stem room to breathe.
Never changing the water. Even water that still looks clean turns after a few days. Refresh it every two days and re-trim the stems each time.
Cutting stems with dull scissors or kitchen shears. A crushed stem can't draw up water properly. Use sharp, clean floral shears and cut at an angle.
The takeaway
Most of these mistakes take seconds to fix, and together they can add several extra days to a bouquet's life, especially in Dubai's climate.
A note from Alexandre
At Atelier Gaïa, every bouquet is unique — hand-composed to order using only fresh flowers, so no two arrangements are ever quite the same. Want a bouquet that's built to last from the very first day? Shop our current collection.
