Removing guard petals on roses

When your local florist or online florist makes a flower delivery to your door, you will most likely notice that they have taken special care to make sure that your flowers arrive in the best shape. If you receive any roses, you most likely noticed that the outer petals do not look all that perfect. They aren’t as bright and colourful and they might even be a bit damaged. If they are damaged, there is nothing to worry about since this is the very purpose of guard petals – to protect the rest of the flower from damage.

When you visit a flower shop to pick a bouquet of roses, your florist will likely hand you a bunch with the guard petals already removed. When ordering online, the florist will most likely leave the guard petals on the roses to make sure that they are properly protected until they reach you. It is up to the recipient to remove these petals so that they can open up completely and show off their beauty.

If you want to make the most of your roses, you need to trim the stems, place them in fresh water and carefully remove those guard petals. Here are some step by step instructions to do just that.

Step 1

Tend to each rose individually and identify the guard petals. You should be able to spot them easily and they are often mistaken for dying or wilted petals. Even if these petals are not too attractive, they do not reflect the quality of health of the flower inside. The guard petals might also have hints of green or brown.

Step 2

Put your index finger softly on the inner side of each guard petal and press down gently and slowly peal the petal away from the main flower. Do not just pluck it out and do not remove any other petals while you’re at it.

Step 3

Discard all of the guard petals or, if you like, you could let them dry out and make your own potpourri.

Step 4

Take some extra time to give each rose some love and care. Use your finger tips to tease the petals and apply minimal pressure. Gently puff the petals out so that your roses have a beautiful full appearance.

If these steps are performed by a professional florist before delivering the bouquet, there is a good chance that your roses will not look as good as they should. Once the flowers are in your home, they will not be bumped around even slightly. Remember that you should also keep your roses away from direct sunlight, away from heaters, fireplaces, air conditioners, and fans. Make sure that you trim the stems as soon as you notice bacteria start to grow on the bottoms. Change the vase water regularly and always add flower preservative to the water to help your roses last longer.