How to Pick Flowers

Choose the best time to pick flowers

Cut flowers early in the morning. This is the best time of day because the flowers are fresh from the night's rest and haven't been exposed to a day of warmth.

Cut in the evening. If you're not able to cut flowers in the morning, the evening is the next best choice, as the flowers won't be wilting under the heat of the sun.

Avoid cutting flowers when it's the middle of the day. At this time of the day the flowers will have very little moisture and will not last long when placed in a vase or bouquet.

Choose flowers that are just coming into full bloom for picking. If you pick the flowers before this, there is a risk that they will be too immature to open their buds. And if they're picked well into bloom or towards the end of blooming, they'll fade fast on display in just water. Older blooms will drop petals and pollen everywhere, creating a mess in your house. Blooms that are dusted with pollen are past their prime. Exceptions to this rule include daffodils and tree blossom; these should be picked when still in bud. The warmth of your house will cause them to open quickly.

To pick or to cut?

Although it's common to refer to "picking" flowers, choose to cut most flowers instead, using a sharp pair of scissors or garden snips. If the flowers have woody stems, make sure that your tool is hardy enough to cut through. You will find that flowers that have been cut will last longer than those picked and this also minimizes damage to the plant.

Note the exceptions. Flowers such as the Iris stylosa and cyclamens need to be pulled out completely, rather than cut. Learn about the specific needs of the flowers in your garden to see which ones fare better being completely removed.

Always ensure that the cutting instrument (scissors, snips, knife, etc.) is sharp and clean. Avoid transferring disease to the flower plant by having dirty snips.

How to cut

Cut flower stems at an angle. The reason for this is that you create more surface area for the flower to drink up water.

If cutting a lot of flowers, carry a small pail or bucket of water with you to place the flowers straight into it. Use lukewarm or room temperature water, not cold tap water.