While walking the pastures last night the apple blossoms have dropped and the lilacs are fragrant and are starting to bloom.
Our planted varieties are already flowering, and the wild ones lining our road and pastures are a breathtakingly spectacular reminder of the spring beauty.
Here are a few tricks to make sure your lilacs stay looking fresh in your home.
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Early Bird Gets the Bloom! The best time to pick them is before the sun gets too hot.
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Floret Power Check! Make sure at least half the florets are open. Lilacs will continue to open a bit more once they’ve been harvested.
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Sharp Shoots! Use sharp pruners or snips for a clean cut. Don't use scissors as you’ll bruise or crush the stem. Need sharp floral snips - here’s the ones we use and I have some extras
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Water at the Ready! Put your lilac stems in water as soon as you cut them
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Remove all Leaves! Take off all the leaves. Yes, all the leaves. This seems weird and makes the lilac look a little naked but this is important. If you want foliage in the vase amongst the lilac, snip stems of just leaves and put them in the vase along side the blooms.
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Stem Snip! Cut up the stem. This gives the flowers a fresh way to hydrate. You can also plunge the stems into boiling water for a few seconds.This helps unclog the stem and allows for better hydration.
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Chill! Put the bucket of lilacs in a cool, dark spot for an hour or two to really hydrate.
- Ready to Arrange! Now you're ready to arrange your beautiful lilacs in a vase and show off your springtime masterpiece!
Here’s a farm video with all the lilac tips and tricks for a longer vase life.