Fresh garlands are an excellent decorative piece that will bring life to your staircase banister or door.The garlands across your doorway add a warm and inviting feel to the house. However, keeping the garland fresh indoors and keeping its vibrancy intact is troublesome. Fresh garlands are expensive, and they tend to die faster without care.
However, there are a few tips to keep a garland fresh and alive. Professionals know exactly how to keep a garland alive; hence, we decided to pick up a few tricks from them. Keep reading if you want to know about a few secrets to keep your real garland fresh for days!
How to Keep Your Garland Fresh Indoors?
A few factors determine a garland's longevity, including moisture levels, climate, location, hydration, etc. People need to pay more attention to such factors and take better care of the fresh garlands. However, it is essential to take good care of the fresh garlands to keep their vibrancy intact. Here are some tips to help keep the garland fresh indoors:
Pay Attention to the Moisture Levels
Fresh garland cannot survive in hot environments and dries quickly. If you want to keep your fresh garland alive, hang it in a cool spot. Ensure the garland is away from direct sunlight, as the heat attracts moisture.
Finding the right place to hang the garland indoors is important to keep it from drying up. One of the main reasons that shade and cool surroundings are necessary is that they help keep moisture levels up. Hydration is the key to preventing the garland from dying and helping keep its vibrancy intact.
A fresh garland stays fresh when you keep it in cool places. Before hanging the garland, place it in a refrigerator to prevent it from dying. It is best to keep the garland in places where the temperature is low, such as beneath the stairs.
If you have areas in your house with direct sunlight, avoid placing garlands in those areas. You can use fake flower garlands in areas with direct sunlight, but a fresh garland is best for shaded areas. If you live in a hot area, it is best to keep misting the garland to prevent water loss. You can keep the garland in your basement if you don't have air conditioning.
Soak the Garland in Water
One of the techniques that most florists use to keep a garland fresh is soaking it in water. Most people have the misconception that soaking the garland in water will make it weak and overly moist. However, it is one of the best techniques to keep a garland fresh and alive.
Before hanging the garland, soak it in cold water overnight and let it absorb as much water as possible. Retrieve the garland in the morning and hang it; this technique makes it last for days.
The soaking method is also great for refreshing the garland if it starts to dry up. If you have an important function coming up and you want to make the garland look more vibrant, soak it in water. Dipping the branches and stems of the garland in cold water is best.
You can also add a few drops of glycerin to the water to alleviate the dehydration. Soak the garland overnight in glycerin water and hang it anywhere in the morning. Don't soak an old garland in water for more than 2-3 hours, as the leaves and branches start to separate.
Mist the Garland Every Day
A fresh garland requires little care but a minimal effort to keep its vibrancy intact. Mist your garland daily to keep the healthy green foliage in good shape and looking vibrant.
Lightly mist the stems, branches, and leaves to uplift the hydration level. The more moist a garland is, the longer it will live. Fill a spray bottle with cold tap water, gently spritz it over the foliage, and mist it heavily on drier parts.
One of the techniques that most people use is to add aspirin to the water. Aspirin helps prevent water loss and gives a bright color to the garland. Most people add aspirin to vases before keeping fresh flowers to prolong their life.
No matter how much you mist, some parts of the garland will dry faster. The best way to make the moisture soak up better is to snip off the drier parts. After snipping off the dry leaves and branches, mist those areas heavily. It aids in the hydration of dry areas and makes them appear more vibrant.
Use an Anti-Desiccant Spray
Sometimes, regular misting is not enough to prolong the life of a fresh garland. Hence, it is best to invest in an anti-desiccant spray that perfectly retains moisture levels. One of the best parts about the anti-desiccant spray is that it leaves a waxy finish on the plant.
The waxy finish not only helps enhance the shine but also boosts hydration. Mostly, a garland dries due to excess water loss and a lack of hydration. An anti-desiccant spray, on the other hand, keeps the garland from drying out and reduces leaf browning.
If you live in a hot climate, the leaves and stems of the garland can dry out quickly. Hence, it is best to use an anti-desiccant spray beforehand to prevent that from happening. The best time to use an anti-desiccant spray is after soaking the garland in water.
The moisture level of the garland is higher, which is ideal for keeping the vibrancy intact. The garland lives longer when you use the anti-desiccant spray after soaking it in water. If your garland is very fresh, it may attract a few pests that can eat the leaves and make them brown. You can also spritz an anti-transpirant spray to prevent a pest attack.
Always Buy a Fresh Garland
Many stores do not have fresh garlands, but they keep them alive in a refrigerator. If you want your garland to last a long time, you need to invest in a fresher one that just came in. It ensures that the garland has no water loss and that the chances of it drying out are less. If you get a garland that has been lying at the florist for days, it will only last for a while after you get it.
There are a few ways to know whether the garland is fresh. The first way is to see the garland and check if the leaves are brown. A fresh garland looks greener and is much more vibrant than an old garland. If you don't find any brown leaves and the garland looks moist, it is good to go for it.
On the other hand, you can also tell if the garland is fresh by smelling it. A fresh garland smells earthy and has a distinct fragrance. However, due to moisture loss, an old garland has no smell. You can smell the garland to check if it is fresh before buying it.
Cut the Brown Foliage
The green foliage makes the garland look fresh and appealing to the eyes. One of the ways to keep the foliage looking fresh and nice is to cut off dried leaves. You can trim the dried branches and remove the brown part to make it look fresh and vibrant.
On the other hand, you can also cut the dried branches at a 45-degree angle and soak them in water. The angle helps with better water absorption and boosts the hydration level. Some dried branches become moist and green when you soak them in water.
Decorate with Twinkle Lights
Decorating it with twinkle lights is the best way to hide dried parts of the garland and divert attention away from it.If you are using the garland around a staircase railing, it will look better with twinkle lights.
The twinkle lights help hide the flaws and make your decorations look much more appealing. Don't use traditional string lights with incandescent bulbs, as the heat can cause the garland to dry up faster. Some string lights can also burn a fresh garland; hence, use a high-quality one.
Conclusion
Many people love using fresh garlands to give their houses a great look during the festive season. However, it would help if you were extra careful with fresh garlands, as they can dry up quickly. Using a few tips, you can make a fresh garland last for 3-6 weeks.
The best thing you can do is get a fresher garland that just came in from the florist shop. On the other hand, keeping the garland cool is crucial, as it keeps the moisture levels high. Never keep the garland in direct sunlight, as it can die faster.