Lili Reinhart’s Romantic Rose Garden Inspires Ways to Enjoy Roses Indoors Long After They’re Cut

Riverdale actress Lili Reinhart gave us a serious case of flower envy when she shared an Instagram carousel of photos featuring an exquisite rose garden. There were lush blooms, layer upon layer of color, and it was giving off major main character energy.

In winter, while the roses are asleep outside, gardens can be quite bare and many of us are missing the burst of energy that comes with pinks, reds, and sunset peach.

But don’t fret, because we have some tips to help you bring some summer energy into your home, along with a hint of fragrance, too. Whether you’re arranging freshly-cut blooms, preserving your favorite roses, or leaning into high-quality faux stems for some added drama, you can get a rose garden vibe on the coldest days.

Create a Rose Garden Feel Inside Your Home

If you’re going to bring a rose garden atmosphere into your home, you’ll need to think way beyond just a single vase. Take your imagination into new realms with grouped arrangements that will instantly give the feel of an immersive experience.

Place clusters of roses in different-sized vases throughout a room. That can mean everything from small side tables to mantels and windowsills to mimic the same feel of what it’s like to be in a rose garden outside.

Stephanie LeBlanc, owner and author of the home and style blog Celebrated Nest, recommends using long stems. She explains, “If the goal is to recreate that abundant garden feeling (that we all love!), long stems make a big difference. They naturally create height, movement, and a looser, more organic look.”

When it comes to colors, layer them the same way you would in a real garden bed. For example, soft blushes mixed with deeper reds or creamy whites.

Making Fresh Roses Last Longer Indoors

When you’re working with freshly-cut roses, even a little maintenance can go a long way.

• Always trim the stems at an angle before putting them in water
• Refresh the vase water every couple of days
• Keep your roses away from direct sunlight and heat sources such as fireplaces (this can cause your petals to start dropping very quickly, and nobody wants that)

These Felco snips available on Amazon are perfect for delicate rose stems.

Preserving Roses for Winter Displays

If you prefer to keep roses without having all the maintenance required, drying and preserving them can be an excellent alternative.

LeBlanc has a couple of recommendations, first telling us, “It’s fairly simple to dry rose heads on their own, but preserving long-stem roses is definitely more challenging.”

She continues, “For individual rose blooms, silica gel is by far my favorite method. It does the best job preserving color and shape, especially compared to air-drying, and works beautifully for crafts, bowls, garlands, and smaller arrangements.”

Pro Tip: For drying and preserving your roses, a silica gel packet like you get in shoe boxes isn’t sufficient. A silica gel made for flower drying is much finer and absorbs the moisture more efficiently. Fonday silica gel, available on Amazon, comes with beads of less than 1mm, and is made specifically for drying flowers.

Drying Long-Stem Roses (and When Faux Is Better)

If you do still want long stems, traditional air-drying can be an option, but you’ll have to keep some limitations in mind. LeBlanc says, “For long-stem roses, the hanging method is really the most reliable option if someone wants to dry them themselves.” However, she adds, “It takes space, patience, and the right conditions, and results can vary. Roses dried this way will fade quite a bit and be fragile.”

LeBlanc says faux roses can work, explaining, “For fuller indoor displays, faux roses can actually be a great option when long stems are needed.” These days, you can get high-quality, realistic-looking faux flowers. This Vickerman rose bundle from Target is 17.5 inches tall and comes with several roses.

Caring for Dried Roses Indoors

LeBlanc tells us that, despite the low maintenance required by dried roses, they still need some care. She says, “Silica-dried rose heads can last a very long time indoors if kept out of direct sunlight and away from moisture. The biggest mistake I see is treating dried roses like fresh flowers.”

She adds, “You can spray roses and other dried flowers with aerosol hairspray – this helps to keep them intact.”

Timing and Sourcing Roses for Winter

LeBlanc recommends planning ahead, which can make winter decorating much less of a headache. She says, “Late summer into early fall is a great time to start preserving blooms for winter use. Roses should be cut at their peak, before petals begin to drop.”

Winter doesn’t have to be dull; with a little creativity and some fresh, dried, or faux roses, you can turn your home into a rose garden fit for spring, just like the one from Lili Reinhart’s Instagram.