Using Passion Vine flowers in floral arrangements?

Has anyone had success with keeping Passion Flowers fresh for more than about a day? I have an upcoming wedding (my own + Christina) on August 8. I did a drawing of P 'incense' for the wedding invitation and would like to follow through with having Passion Flower arrangements for the table decorations and bridal bouquet. We are staging this mostly informal ceremony ourselves without bringing in the professionals (and incurring the expense for anything close to lavish). I've experimented with floating the Passion Flowers in water, and that keeps them fresh until they fold up naturally at night, but I'm wondering if anyone has tried putting Passion Flowers in the florist tubes or have found other means to keep the flowers fresh after being cut? Also, any means to keep the vines from wilting almost instantly? I've found short pieces of the vine will remain fresh in water for several hours, but longer pieces wilt at the end soon after being cut..

My backyard has been just about completely overtaken by P. 'incense' so I will have plenty of opportunity the day of the event to harvest fresh flowers. I can keep them refrigerated until ready to display, but Christina will probably strangle me with the vines if the tables are draped in wilting weeds. LOL I have enough P. 'incense' that I can pull up segments with the roots if that will help keep the vines fresh.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Jeremy

CONGRATULATIONS! I hope you have a happy life together!

If you can find a product called Wilt-Pruf that should solve your problem .. it's a spray that puts an invisible coating on whatever you spray and keeps it from wilting .. You can usually find it everywhere in the fall since it's used for wreaths and christmas trees, but hard to find in the summer .. check your ace hardware store, I know they carry it in fall .. but may have some left over.

http://www.wiltpruf.com/

X

From Michaels.com

Crowning Glory 1 Gallon
Item# HTA0500
$14.99

Product Description
Crowning Glory

Slows deterioration and browning of fresh flowers, plants and greens.

Dries to a clear finish, never changes the color of flower.

Spray on delicate flowers before arranging and on every completed
arrangement to prolong freshness.

Great for bridal bouquets, everyday arrangements and Christmas greens.

1 Gallon
.

Thanks for the tips! I hadn't thought about using the wilt retardant sprays and additives. I still have a few weeks to experiment. I will try your suggestions and will post photos of the results here.

I may be able to find the Wilt-Pruf at a store here, Champion's, that sells only holiday and event supplies and they have a large floral arrangement supply section. I need to go by there at some point anyway to get some of the smallest rubber-capped vials to hold flowers.

All are invited to the wedding! Come if you can. We are keeping it casual with no RSVP required. And, I can send you home with a wheelbarrow load of P. 'incense'. LOL

Jeremy

Jeremy, you can usually buy the vials for 5 cents apiece at any florist shop - you might even ask at your grocery store floral dept.

I was a florist for many years. I would have a back up plan just in case they wilt the morning of your wedding. Try to find some artificial ones. Also, go to a florist and get some preservative, you have to process flowers before you use them in arrangements if you want them to last. After you have cut the flower,cut the end again with a sharp knife at an angle then put it in warm water with preservative, let it sit out for 20 minutes then put in the fridge overnight. This "hardens" the flower and makes it last longer. Make sure you cut freshly opened flowers or flowers that are just opening. Morning is best. Spray with Crowning Glory after the arrangements are put together; spray really well until they drip, let them dry then spray again. As long as they aren't sitting in the hot sun they may be ok. I never worked with passionflowers but I have worked with other not so hardy flowers. I still say have some silk ones as back up if you can find some.
Roxxanne

Thanks, Roxxanne, for sharing all the details. I appreciate your professional expertise! Now, I can make plans and start experimenting. Champion's event supplies store here has a very large silk flower section with all the supplies for artificial arrangements. I've found some fairly exotic plastic and silk flowers there in the past that I don't see in other stores, so I will try to get some silk passion flowers as backup, just in case my real passie flowers don't want to put on a show. LOL

I've spent most of the last week up to my ankles in decades old sludge trying to get the plumbing lines cleared in our old 1937 house and install clean drain lines for the sinks. Not my favorite task, but it is finally done and the water is flowing out of the sinks and tub! I deserve a break to do something more serene and clean, like preserving passion flowers, if only for a day!

Jeremy