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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Salvaging Droopy Roses in a Bouquet Using Straight Pins

Hi, there. I've been taking some time to recharge since Valentine's Day. But this morning, I wanted to share with you how I salvage drooping roses in a bouquet.



Can you see the angle of the stem just below the bud on this rose? (It's actually to the upper left of the blossom.) This stem was the first to droop (on Friday), and the first that I repaired. (In a later photo, you can see this rose, repaired with a pearl-headed pin.)

Grocery store roses can be a real bargain, compared to those from the florist. However, I've had an issue with some grocery store roses. I sometimes get a batch whose buds begin to droop about a day after receiving or buying them. 

This latest batch, bought from a grocery store on Valentine's Day, began to develop a couple of droopers on Friday, despite trimming the ends, keeping them in adequate water, and using the floral preservative. My solution for this batch came from a dozen florist's roses that I received once. Those roses had a short length of wire in each stem below the bud. So, for this past week’s roses that were drooping just below the bud, I thought I would substitute a straight pin for the florist wire in the stems.

a different stem beginning to droop

About a half-inch below the place on the stem where the rose was drooping, I pushed an ordinary straight pin up through the stem (toward the blossom), being careful to keep the pin inside the stem and not poking through the other side. 

if you look closely, you can see the pin head on the right side
 of the stem, an inch below the blossom

Above, I’ve used a dark blue pin. But in the photo below, the large pearl-headed pin is more visible. (This rose had the greatest degree of drooping, by the way, and was the first rose that I salvaged with a pin.)


Below are the roses on Friday, after I’d “fixed” the ones whose buds were flopping at the top of the stem. 

I repaired 5 of the stems between Friday and Saturday.



Here they are this morning (Tuesday). You can see the pearl-headed pin in a rose at the front of the bunch. The rose has maintained the integrity of its appearance, as have the others in the bunch.


And here’s a shot of the dozen from above so that you can see that the repaired rose (the furtherest to the left) is opening similarly to several of the other roses.

Obviously, floral wire would be easier to conceal, as there would be no head protruding from the stem. However, I am fine with the small, dark blue and green heads of the smaller pins, as they are barely noticeable and readily available to me. I'll leave the pins in until I take my bouquet apart, then return them to my sewing supplies.

It's too early to tell if the bouquet will continue to look uniformly good. So far, though, it looks like this little “fix” has salvaged my Valentine's roses.

12 comments:

  1. Such pretty roses! Flowers have a way of cheering us up, don't they? My husband got me tulips and they started drooping by day #2, so I went online and found a hint to poke the stem with a pin fairly close to the blossom (I also re-trimmed the stems). Worked like a charm. I think they are at the end of their life span but it was a nice spot of color this past week. Thanks for the hint about the roses--I'll keep that in mind!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      So, with the tulips, did you just poke the stem, and not go all the way through, and then they slowly bounced back? I will definitely try this. Thank you!

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    2. Here's the link I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbl2w4yp77U

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    3. Thanks, Kris. I'll check that out!

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  2. I encouraged my husband to cut back on flowers over the years because one or the other of the cats would eat them and then throw up. However, last year, he sent some to my work which worked well. I did not know about the pin trick and I will remember it the next time I have some drooping blooms.

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    Replies
    1. Not only did I have to put my tulips on top of a high armoire last week (and Max the cat STILL was plotting how to get up there!), but I had to move a pineapple from the countertop to the fireplace mantel to keep him from chewing on the top of it. I told the kids that in the south, the pineapple is a symbol of welcome, so it really wasn't as weird as it appeared to be ....

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    2. Hi live and learn,
      that's a good compromise. You get to enjoy the flowers at work, but the cats can't get to them. Our cat didn't eat flowers, but would chew on the greenery in bouquets. My worry was mostly that she'd knock a vase over and there would be broken glass all over.

      Kris, before affordable shipping for produce, pineapples were prized and coveted, so to bring a pineapple out to guests was considered an honor. Sometimes, the host would simply "show off" the pineapple and not cut into it. In Britain, wealthy landowners had glass houses built for cultivating pineapples, called pineries. Years ago, I read this super interesting book on the history of kitchen gardens. I wish I could remember the name. I would reread it again if I found it. (got it from the library years ago, maybe I'll begin my search there) So, your pineapple on display was also a "show-piece" in your home.

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  3. Great idea about the roses, Lili! Live and Learn and Kris, Just a tip about your cats. They crave the nutrients in the greens. I buy a container of already sprouted wheat grass from the produce section and put it down for them. One container lasts about three weeks. I do trim it with scissors when it begins to fade. Not all grocery stores carry it. Here Kroger doesn't but Safeway and Grocery Outlet do. Some people put wheat grass in smoothies so whatever benefits they are getting the cats need, too. Start slow or they may scarf and barf - my Vet's term! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooops! You can purchase wheat grass at pet stores, too. All under $3.00/tub. Or, seeds to grow your own.

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    2. Thank you, Shirley.
      I've seen something labeled "cat grass." I wonder if it's the same thing as wheat grass. It's supposed to help with hair balls.

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  4. Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me! I'll remember this for the future.

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