How to Arrange an Overflowing Bouquet of Lilacs & Keep Them From Wilting
THE FARMHOUSE
Oh lilacs! They’re such a nostalgic flower, conjuring memories of our childhood yard and the novice bouquets I used to make for my family’s kitchen island. Even at 10 years old, I loved clipping lilacs and filling our home with their sweet scent.
Well a couple of decades later, not much has changed. I’m still clipping lilacs by the armful and filling our home with their sweet scent. Only now I know a few tricks to extend their vase life and keep lilacs from wilting overnight. Let me share those tricks with you today and show you how I like to arrange big, overflowing bouquets of this favorite bloom (no floral foam necessary!).
Farmhouse kitchen | sources here
The first Spring in our Farmhouse, I was thrilled to find almost a dozen different lilac bushes blooming. They’re all different hues, ranging from white to pink to purple to the deepest magenta. I couldn’t believe my luck! I immediately clipped some stems and brought them in the house, only to find them wilted in the morning.
After a couple times of this clip-overnight-wilt cycle, I was discouraged enough to do some research on vase life. Between that initial online research, trial and error, and Erin Benzakein’s ‘Cut Flower Garden’ (it’s a wonderful book!), I’ve learned how to extend the life of my arrangements from a few days up to ten!
How to Keep Cut Lilacs from Wilting & Extend their Vase Life
One // Select flowers that are less than 3/4 bloomed
Lilacs will last longer in the vase if you cut them before they’re fully bloomed. I like to pick most of our’s around 3/4 bloomed, although my white bush looks great around 1/2 bloomed. These lilacs will have a longer vase life than if they’re fully bloomed. BTW, lilacs won’t open much once picked.
Two // Pick lilacs in the early morning or late evening
Pick lilacs in the early morning or late evening and immediately put them into a bucket filled with clean, cool water. This will make sure they’re at the most hydrated.
Three // Set cut lilacs in a dark room for a couple of hours before arranging
So many people recommended this and I was skeptical at first. But it helps! Set your bucket of hydrating lilacs in a dark room (like a basement) for a couple/few hours and they’ll be ready to go.
Four // Remove most of the leaves
Remove most of the leaves on your stems. I like to keep a few leaves up near the blooms for a little green in my arrangements, but anything lower on the stem will muck up the water. Plus lilac bouquets tend to get full quick, so less is more with leaves.
Five // Cut the stems
This is the biggie. Wooded plants like lilacs need water, so making sure they have a lot of surface area to drink from is key. Cut the stems to length and then cut an inch or so up their length, essentially splitting the end of the stem (see pictures below). I’ve also tried cutting larger stems at a steep angle and the lilacs stayed hydrated that way too.
Six // Water daily
Lilacs are thirsty and you’ll need to fill up the vase with water every day. When I cut my first bouquet every Spring, I find myself surprised by how quickly these flowers go through water. But they do!
These tips should help your lilacs last 3+ days, up to 10!
How I arrange a big bouquet of overflowing lilacs
I love to arrange an armload of lilacs in a large crock or vase every few days during the couple of weeks in Spring that lilacs bloom at our Farmhouse. Simple is best with lilacs imo - the big, full blooms look best by themselves, with no other plants in the vase. The crock or vase should be heavy bottomed and not too narrow at the top. My favorite are crocks (like these from Farmhouse Pottery) or a tall vintage-inspired metal vase (like this one by Behrens). I also love using a whicker vase I found at Target (similar here, here, and here) and use a large mason jar inside it to arrange the blooms. The same could work with a basket like this.
To get the ‘overflowing’ look I’m doing here, lilacs will need some added support. Floral foam is common, but I’m dubious about chemicals. So when I read about a chickenwire ‘pillow’ (in ‘Cut Flower Garden’) I was sold. It’s enough support to keep the arraignment in place for days.
To get the ‘overflowing’ look I’m doing here, lilacs will need some added support. Floral foam is common, but I’m dubious about chemicals. So when I read about a chickenwire ‘pillow’ (in ‘Cut Flower Garden’) I was sold. It’s enough support to keep the arraignment in place for days.
Making a chickenwire ‘pillow’ instead of floral foam
To make a pillow, start with a piece of chickenwire about twice as big as the vase/crock you’re using. We just happen to have a large roll of it on hand right now (as we’re building a chicken coop and all), but you can buy it at your local Ranch and Home or similar feed store. Wrap the chickenwire into a pillow shape by folding down the sides, so it ends up the size of the inside of your vase. Remember, it doesn’t have to be pretty. Carefully push the pillow into the vase. Wear gloves for this entire process as the wire has sharp edges and take care not to scratch your vase!
If you’re worried about your pillow coming out, secure it with floral tape placed in an ‘x’ shape over the top of the vase (the tape will get covered up with blooms).
Arranging
Now the fun part…arranging! Fill your vase with clean, cold water almost to the brim and get busy. I filmed a video of arranging these blooms and am sharing the 1 minute clip below. There are definitely people much more talented at arranging flowers than I, but this is how I like to do it…
And voila! a lovely, overflowing, sweet-smelling bouquet of lilacs. Don’t they just transport you to your childhood? Here are some of my favorite lilac bouquets from over the years…
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