Essential Oil Tips For Cut Flowers

Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • May 18, 2020

Do you love having decorative cut flowers in your home? Maybe they come from your garden, maybe they were a gift, or maybe you simply love decorating your home with beautiful flowers you have purchased from your local florist or market.

Flowers in our homes actually have many health benefits. They have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. When you have flowers around it can give you an immediate connection to nature and takes you out of the fast-paced world for a while. It can bring you a sense of peace and calm, and who doesn't need that!

It's not only the flowers themselves that can bring benefits, but also the colour of the flowers. Depending on the colour they can bring a nurturing effect, a romantic, sensual or passionate feel, and other colours can bring a calming effect.

Whatever the reason you choose to have flowers in your home, they don't always seem to last as long as you would love them to. I've been experimenting and researching ways to help make our beautiful flower arrangements last. And it's quite simple, a drop of certain essential oils in the water can help make the cut flowers last longer!

Flowers and Purification Essential Oil Blend

By simply adding a drop of Purification Essential Oil Blend (by Young Living), you can help your beautiful flower arrangement last longer. If you don't have Purification, Tea Tree Essential Oil (or Melaleuca) is a great alternative. Just a couple of drops in the water helps extend the life of your flowers.

A few useful tips to remember when preparing and maintaining your flower decoration are:

Always cut your flower stems at an angle before placing them in your vase. Stems cut at an angle allow the flower to soak nutrients more easily
Add a drop or two (depending on your vase size) of Purification or Tea Tree Essential Oil to the water.
Using filtered water can help reduce chemicals often found in tap water such as chlorine and other minerals, which can lead to reduced plant health
Change the water, recut the flower stems a little bit every 2-3 days and add another drop of essential oil. The cut stems eventually seal up preventing them from getting the nutrients they need to survive, so cutting the stems helps to add more nutrients to the flowers and preserve their life.

If possible, keep your floral arrangement away from heat and direct sunlight

Flower arrangements are used on many different occasions. If you are using your cut flower arrangement for a special event such as a party or dinner party, you could use a floral essential oil to enhance your arrangement with a beautiful scent. To do this you would use a floral essential oil, such as Lavender, Geranium, Rose, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang or Jasmine instead of the Purification or Tea Tree initially. After your party is over and you want to preserve the life of your cut flower arrangement, simply add the Purification or Tea Tree essential oil to the replacement water after 2-3 days. Flower arrangements in old jars, pitchers and jugs make beautiful centrepieces for dinner parties and the addition of a beautiful aroma will surely add to your event.

If you found this useful and would like to purchase your essential oils please contact me

If you would like more information on beginning your toxic-free wellness journey click here

For more information on the benefits of specific essential oils, please do a search on PubMed

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By Lyn Russell, RYT-500, RCYT, B.Ed., Dip.T., ACOA Dip. (M.Nat.Th) • October 14, 2022

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