Dear Rose Enthusiast,
Old garden roses are by their very nature, both fragile and unique. The roses you have selected have been chosen for their special form, color, and/or fragrance. Each blossom in the bunch will vary slightly, adding to their charm. Unlike domestic hothouse or imported roses, these will continue to open and increase in beauty each day if cared for properly. Even as they drop their petals, they retain elegance unmatched by commercial roses.
Begin with a very clean vase, fill the vase with outdoor tap water. Roses do not like floral foam (commonly called oasis'). Hold the roses next to your vase to gauge how much stem you will need to trim. We choose to leave the guard petals on for shipping to help protect the blooms. You may remove any damaged outer petals or leave them. They will reflex back as the rose opens and not be visible. Remove any foliage that would be below the water line; submerged leaves rot and encourage bacterial growth which will shorten bloom life.
Removing thorns is optional and may also shorten bloom life. If you choose to remove the thorns, use a sharp clean blade and carefully pare them away, working from top to bottom
Using a sharp knife or pruners. cut the stems at a 45-degree angle. This prevents them from sitting flat on the bottom of the vase and allows better water absorption. Immediately place stems in a vase filled with cool outdoor tap water (roses do not like 'soft' or filtered water); the water level should not be above foliage. Add cut flower food/preservative. We recommend Chrysa! #3, which we have included. Make sure that you add fresh cold water to your vase daily. Roses are big drinkers. Keep roses in a cool area, away from any heat source. For additional longevity, re-cut stems, rinse vase, and change water daily, making sure to add the flower food/preservative.
Special note: the more fragrant the rose, the less time in the vase. Softer petals contain more fragrance pores and are more delicate. These are not 'grocery store roses' (leathery thick petals). You can expect a garden rose to last 3 to 5 days depending on the variety.