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4 Easy Ways to Help Beat the Winter Blues

Many people report feeling like they have the winter blues as soon as the cooler months roll around. While some people are able to carry on as normal through seasonal changes, others find winter a hard season to get through.

Generally this is put down to the lack of sunlight. Compared to the summer months, winter sees a lot less sunlight, making it harder for people to feel motivated and ready to face the day.

Signs You May Have The Winter Blues

There are a few signs that you may be fighting the winter blues. A few of these include:

  • Feeling less motivated than normal
  • Low on energy
  • Wanting to sleep more than normal
  • Feeling more irritable than normal
  • Not wanting to see your friends or participate in your day to day activities
  • Overeating or the want/need to eat unhealthy foods like chocolate and chips compared to your normal eating habits.

What Can You Do To Fight the Winter Blues?

While many people may agree they feel the above symptoms more during the cooler months there are a few things you can do to help feel a bit better.

  1. Get outside in the sunshine
    While this may seem obvious it can be easier said than done. Getting outside into the sunshine can really help to boost your mood. Unfortunately, for those who work 9-5 it can be hard to get sunlight before or after work. Try to get outside for 15 minutes during your lunch break in order to soak up a bit of the sun. You will be really surprised how much better you feel after a dose of sunlight.
  2. Watch Your Diet
    Eating a healthy diet during the winter months is important to help ensure you feel your best. While it may feel tempting to reach for junk food, it doesn’t do anything to help improve your mood. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to help feel light and healthy. Foods high in saturated fats and sugar work to spike sugar levels giving you a “crash” where you will often feel worse than before and more likely to want to reach for more junk food.
  3. Exercise Outside
    Invest in some warm winter clothing so you can get outside regardless of the weather. While it may be tempting to want to stay inside in front of the fire or heater, it is important you stay active. As little as 15 minutes walking a day can help to boost your mood. Plus, you don’t have to exercise during daylight hours to feel the benefits!
  4. Bring the outside in
    Fresh flowers are a great way to help bring some colour into your home or workplace. Flowers have been proven to help boost your mood and are a great way to add light to a dark room. Invest in a fresh floral arrangement that you can place anywhere within your house or workplace. Choose places that you frequently go but also consider places that you may not normally place flowers. Take a moment to take in the colours, textures and smell of your arrangement in a moment of self care. You will be surprised how much you benefit from fresh flowers.

Contact FlowerFlow

The team at FlowerFlow have fresh seasonal flowers to help you keep the winter blues at bay. Speak to our team today to see how we can help keep your home, business or workplace looking fantastic all year round!

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6 Easy Ways To Make Your Flowers Last Longer

There’s no better feeling than receiving a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Whether you receive them as a birthday present, thank you gift or even in a bridal arrangement, the mixture of colour, greenage and beautiful wrapping leaves a long lasting impression. Often, the first point of call once you get them home is to pop them straight in a vase full of water, but is that really the best way to ensure your blooms stay as vibrant as possible, for as long as possible?

Read on to find out 6 easy ways that you can help your flowers stay fresh for longer.

  1. Cut The Stems
    This may seem like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how many people forget this important step. Cutting the stems allows your flowers to take in water easier as the stem isn’t pushed flat against the bottom of the vase.Use a pair of gardening shears or a pair of sharp scissors to cut all of the stems on an angle. This can be done easily without needing to pull your bouquet apart, meaning that you can keep the arrangement the same way you received it. Trimming the stems every few days will help to keep them as fresh.
  2. Prune Low Growing Leaves
    Pruning leaves that fall below the water line will help to keep vase water fresh. Any bacteria that grows in the water will shorten the life of your flowers. Make sure you keep an eye on any leaves or petals that may have fallen into the water incase they start to rot. Refreshing the water every few days will help keep bacteria away.
  3. Feed Your Blooms
    How many people can put their hand up and admit that they throw away the little packet of flower food that is stuck somewhere on or within the bouquet wrapping? Most flower recipients can probably say they have done this at least once. Flower food is full of good nutrients that flowers need to live longer. Using this little packet of food will do your flowers wonders.Once you have selected your vase, make sure it is clean. Fill it with room temperature water and mix in the food solution, ensuring the water doesn’t dilute the flower food too much or that the flower food isn’t too concentrated. Check the packet of flower food for instructions as this will help you get the ratios correct. Ensure the food is thoroughly mixed in before you put the flowers in. Again, make sure you change the water and flower food solution every few days.
  4. Find The Perfect Spot to Place Your Vase
    Finding the right location to display your flowers can be a difficult task. You may already have a spot picked out where you can proudly display your blooms but
    there are a few things to keep in mind when looking for the right position. Your flowers won’t last well in direct sunlight or near a heat source such as a stove top or small appliance like a toaster. This can cause the flowers to dry out and in some cases burn, especially during summer time when the summer sun is very strong. Open windows and drafts from air vents can also quicken the dehydration process.
  5. Steer Clear of Fresh Fruit
    While it may be tempting to arrange your flowers next to fresh fruit for an instagram worthy display, that is one of the worst things you could do if you want your blooms to last. Fruit releases ethylene gas as it ripens and unfortunately fresh cut flowers do not last long once exposed to the gas.If you need to take a quick pic for instagram, make sure you make it quick and seperate the two, because just like oil and water, they will never mix.
  6. Put Your Flowers In The Fridge
    While some may think this is madness, putting your flowers in the fridge each night will help to slow the aging process and in turn your flowers will stay bright and looking their best for much longer.Allow your flowers to chill out each night and reap the rewards each morning as you fall in love with your bouquet all over again.

Flower Flow Bonus Tip

Fresh cut blooms thrive on water and sugar. If you run out of flower food and need to change the water, add some sprite or lemonade to the next lot of fresh water. Add ¼ cup of lemonade to the water and give it a good stir. The flowers will love the sweetness from the soft drink, giving them the energy to keep looking their best.

There you have it! 6 super easy steps to help increase the lifespan of your bouquet. Fresh flowers help to add a sense of happiness and calm to any room. The team at Flower Flow have stunning fresh flowers and are available to help you pick the perfect bunch for any occasion.

Contact us today to learn more about our range of fresh flowers.

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What is the Best “Red Rose” for Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is the upmost important day for any florist around the globe. One of the hardest decisions a florist has to make is “which variety of Red Rose am I going to buy?” Florists are undecided whether to go with Kenyan or Colombian, imported or local. Many Challenges arise such as if the rose will last more than a week, will the stem size be thick enough, will the head size be large enough? These are all issues faced by florists which the public are not privy to.

No matter where you source your Valentine’s roses from, the quality of flower is what will ensure your customers are satisfied, FlowerFlow’s Rajpal Bains explains.

FlowerFlow, being a part of the Vegpro group (a global rose specialist and breeder), have developed one of the world’s most popular varieties of Red Roses available in the market. The T-hybrid “Incredible” variety is bred to have a 5cm+ headsize, guaranteed 7 days shelf life from cut and vase life tested to last in excess of 2 weeks. This rose is available from lengths from 40cm to 80cm in length.

As well as the variety, there are 3 main factors all florists should take into consideration when purchasing their Valentine’s Day roses include;

  • Cool Chain Management
  • Consistency
  • Quality

Cool Chain Management:

Ensuring that the flowers have been treated properly along the whole supply chain is essential in the vase life of the rose. At Flowerflow, all flowers are sent directly from the farms via refrigerated transport to our facility located within Nairobi Airport Terminal. Prior to dispatch all product is vacuum cooled to ensure cool chain management from source to customer. Flowers are then checked-in via a cool facility at the destination, and transported to our facility with refrigerated transport for dispatch to customers.

Consistency:

Is this flower consistent all year round? Growers have been known to crop back for the large occasions to ensure that they meet the demand for quantities during peak periods. This in turn can compromise the quality of the flower. If your grower can provide you consistently all year with this flower, then it’s the safest option to go with what you know best.

Quality:

Insist information on the vase life testing performed on the variety you choose. On top of performing your own testing, documented vase life testing is an essential part of the quality roses. At Flowerflow, vase life testing is performed at source and on the distribution end of the supply chain. Temperature controlled rooms which circulate and recycle air to mimic a retail outlet to assess the appearance and longevity of the flower. Daily findings are recorded and documented for quality assurance purposes to prove as evidence to customers and relay vital information back to the farms.

 

So if you are thinking about what to get for Valentine’s Day’s this year, be sure to ask your local wholesaler for the “incredible” red rose. Happy Valentine’s Day!