Hand-Tied Bouquets

What’s Up With Our Bouquets?

You’ve been a regular customer of ours for a while, so you probably already know that we like to keep changing things up at Andrew’s Garden. Whether its the furniture or the flowers, we are always doing something new. We never want to get stuck in a design rut – and we are always looking for better ways to do things. Some of you may have noticed a small change in our hand-tied bouquets lately. We have significantly reduced our use of cellophane by switching to Eco-Wraps!

Our hand-tied bouquets are very popular. Most of us have more than enough vases at home, so let’s fill them with flowers! As we’ve mentioned before (see Skip the Vase!), sending flowers in a vase every time is a uniquely American thing to do. Our hand-tied bouquets are artistically designed just like all our beautiful arrangements. They are especially convenient and make a great gift for a friend. To keep the bouquet in the best condition, we prefer to provide a water source for the ride home. Taking a nod from our European friends, we previously created a bag of water out of cellophane and then tucked the bouquet into one of our beautiful bags.

True cellophane is not necessarily bad for the environment if it is made from sustainable materials. However, most of what we call “cellophane” is actually a synthetic plastic called polypropylene that has a petroleum-based coating. Not only has the cost of cellophane dramatically increased, but we are trying reduce our use of plastics altogether. In our search to find ways to reduce our use of plastics, we found and tested Eco-Wraps! The idea itself is not necessarily new. I’m sure some of you remember the 70s version, paper towels & Baggies. This is even better! (Nerd moment. Remember the bumpy texture of Baggies? I had to Google it to see if an old box of Baggies really had an alligator on the side as I remembered. I was right!!)

Eco-Wraps

An Eco-Wrap is a plant-based, compostable product that is completely reusable! Similar to Swedish Dishcloths that you may have seen popping up in fine stores everywhere, Eco-Wraps hold an enormous amount of water (15-20 times their own weight!). First, we get the wrap soaking wet. Then, we wrap the freshly-cut stems snugly. We cover the wrap with a small compostable bag and secure it with a band or twine. Ta-Da! It’s ready to go! We set the bouquet in one of our gift bags and your flowers are hydrated for the ride home!

Don’t Throw It Out!

Each wrap is super absorbent, reusable, and biodegradable-so you can compost it when it’s no longer usable. But don’t throw it out after you unwrap your bouquet! Perhaps you’ve seen eco-friendly sponges or paper towels, often called Swedish Dishcloths? I bought Swedish Dishcloths from our friends down the street at Amante and I’m never going back to regular dish cloths! Our Eco-Wraps are similar and can be washed & reused hundreds of times. They’re perfect for washing dishes or other household cleaning. After use, they dry out quickly and can be thrown into your regular wash. If you really don’t want your wraps, we would be happy to re-use them! We will always acccept Eco-Wraps & vases back for re-use!

TIPS FOR FLOWER CARE AT HOME

When you arrive home, remove the bag and Eco-Wrap. Don’t remove any bands or twine at the binding point of the bouquet, since that is what keeps your arrangement together. Re-cut the stems on an angle with a clean, sharp knife or clippers, being careful not to crush fragile stems (like tulips, ranunculus, & calla lilies). Be sure to cut at least 1-inch of length. Right after cutting the stems, place the bouquet in a clean vase with fresh, room-temperature water (not too cold, please!).

Set your flowers in a cool area, avoiding direct sunlight, fans or drafts, & fresh fruit. Even a few degrees makes a huge difference! Flowers will last longer in a 68-degree room than a 75-degree room. Then, make sure you check the water level daily since your flowers may be very thirsty. We recommend changing the water & re-cutting the stems every 2 days. That helps limit bacteria growth and extend the life of your bouquet. Some flowers will deteriorate more quickly than others. That is natural and expected. Simply remove those stems and enjoy the rest of your flowers for as long as possible!

Remember-fresh flowers are perishable. Even when we do our very best to protect them, some may wilt sooner than we hope. At Andrew’s Garden, we receive flowers nearly every day, so you can be sure they are very fresh. Most of our flowers may last a week or more with proper care. But keep in mind that some of the most special & delicate flowers, like peonies, dahlias, gardenias, and even certain garden roses, are only expected to last a couple of days. Generally, more fragrant flowers have a shorter vase-life. If you ever have a question or concern about your flowers, please call us right away so we have the opportunity to address your concern.

Sustainability Is Important To Us

We hope you like the changes we are making at Andrew’s Garden to become more sustainable. As partners in a green industry, we take seriously our role in caring for our environment. Our natural, garden-style of design is intended to reflect how flowers grow and creep and move and flow in their natural environment. We want the choices we make at Andrew’s Garden to respect our love for the way flowers grow too.