Cut Flowers - Ways to Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer

When there are no words, there are flowers.

Flowers can say, I love you, I'm sorry, Congratulations, Happy Anniversary, Happy Birthday, It's a Boy!, It's a Girl! They can even say, Thank you for inviting me to dinner.

Best of all, cut flowers are fluent in any language.

Flowers are remarkably articulate and diplomatic. Flowers are willing to eat our hats when we are not. Where we are timid, they can be naughty and sassy. Flowers can be joyous or somber, riotous, powerful, thankful, hopeful, even playful.

Cut flowers can just as easily add a splashy dash of just-for-fun color to a room as they can send a message of love and encouragement to those we care about. They can cheer up a sick friend in the hospital, serve as a reminder that we share in the grief of a person's passing, and even mark the happier milestones of a person's life like a wedding or birthday.

Looking at a beautiful vase of cut flowers evokes the feeling behind the message they were intended to convey over and over again, so it is important to make them last as long as possible.

Here are my tips to help you make your cut flowers last longer.

Try these tips to keep your cut flowers looking fresh and attractive longer.

• Always cut stems at an angle with very sharp scissors or pruning shears
• Do not overcrowd the flowers into the vase
• Double the life of your flowers by placing them in the refrigerator overnight. Just as refrigeration slows the decomposition of food, it also does the same for flowers. That's why flowers are refrigerated at flower shops!
• Remove all leaf material below the water line. The leaves will rot and decay, making the water poisonous to the flowers. Remember, the stem is pumping the water up to the flower!
• Split the ends of flowers that have very thick stems. This increases their ability to absorb moisture.
• Add two tablespoons each of vinegar and cane sugar to each quart of vase water. The sugar makes a great cut flower food, and the vinegar inhibits growth of organisms.
• Cut stems under water to prevent air bubbles from forming in the stem. These bubbles can inhibit the flow of water through the stem.

If your cut flowers wilt a bit, you can revive them by cutting the stems on an angle then place them in hot water and move them to a dark place.  Wait for the hot water to cool then transfer them to cold water, and they will be as good as new.

Dried flowers quickly get dusty and unattractive looking, and their delicate nature makes them a little nerve wracking to clean.  Try these tips to keep your dried flowers looking beautiful.

Remember to regularly blow them off with a blow dryer set on on low.

For stubborn dust, place them in a bag with a bit of salt and cornmeal.Gently shake the bag, then blow them off with the blow dryer. 

Remember to spray your clean, dried flowers with hairspray to protect them from dust.