We all know flowers are sweet and beautiful, but we hate to admit that they can be incredibly delicate. If there’s too much of anything, they can falter quickly: too much bacteria in the water (eek!), too much heat, too much humidity, too much dry air—the list goes on and on.

The summer months bring about some of the loveliest flowers, but how do you keep them fresh and beautiful in extended seasons of heat? Here in South Texas, conquering the elements is a challenge about 80–90% of the year. Last year, I went for a run on Christmas Eve in a tank top. That is just not natural. Fortunately, there are many remedies you can use to conquer the heat. I operate my event floral business out of my home, and we do not have any space for a cooler. This can be a considerable challenge to overcome, but we overcame it! So I'm going to give you five tips to keep flowers in perfect condition while dealing with intense heat:

1. Invest in a CoolBot temperature controller.

2. Use Crowning Glory.

3. Learn the specific needs of flowers.

4. Order additional blooms.

5. Save the best for last!

1. Invest in a CoolBot Temperature Controller

The CoolBot is an excellent fix for anyone that needs to create a cold room/studio/storage space. It connects to a window unit to lower the temperature below the normal limits. It is a more cost-effective way to cool your space instead of buying a large commercial-grade walk-in cooler.

2. Use Crowning Glory

Crowning Glory is a florist’s best friend (insert heart-eyed emoji here). I keep a bottle of Crowning Glory in my tool kit and my studio. It is perfect for hydrating and sealing blooms such as hydrangea and roses, especially since hydrangeas absorb the majority of their hydration from their petals. Just a quick spritz before transit or once installed will help these blooms remain beautiful and plump.

3. Learn the Specific Needs of Flowers

Each beautiful bloom was created with particular needs. For example, astilbe needs humidity to stay fresh. If you have to store astilbe outside of a cooler, be sure to place a grocery sack over the blooms. This will keep the humidity inside the bucket. Peonies are a cold-weather plant. We recommend storing them in a cooler of some sort to keep them from opening too quickly.

4. Order Additional Blooms

Some blooms are simply more delicate than others. I recommend always ordering a small amount of overage just in case some of your flowers arrive in less-than-perfect condition.

It is also important to think about the elements when creating your design. It's not the best idea to use hydrangeas in an installation that will be in the direct sunlight during summertime. Instead, try reflexed roses as a replacement. Are you worried about your eucalyptus crisping up in the sun? Maybe Ruscus or Silverberry is a better option!

5. Save the Best for Last

When I am onsite at an event, I am so eager to get the large installations completed. I'm sure you can relate! However, if your area is anything like mine, most of your ceremonies are outdoors in the heat and the humidity. You often need to complete large ceremony installations within a few minutes of guests arriving to ensure that they're at their best for the ceremony. For arches and large barrel arrangements, it's helpful to construct the design ahead of time and then quickly install them onsite with the finishing touches.

For this wedding at the San Antonio Museum of Art, we used six fans to push the air through the tent throughout the day. We also brought in four additional people to install the greenery quickly, which allowed us to install it later in the day without it crisping up. We also chose smilax, which can tolerate the heat well.

I hope these tips will help you conquer the heat this year. For more tricks and inspiration, check out our blog.