Cut Flower Care

The less you handle your flowers, the longer they will last. As soon as you receive your flowers soak the stems in a large bowl of cold water for an hour or more. Put a few ice cubes in the water. Take the flowers out of the bowl one at a time while you are arranging them.

Flowers will stay fresh longer if you take them out of their vase every day and soak the stems in cold water for an hour. Flowers will last much longer if you take the time to carry out these instructions.

Give flowers all the water they require. This does not mean that big flowers need more water than little ones. Neither does it mean that you should drown them. For example, pansy stems need two or three inches of water, more than other flower stems. The stems of carnations and roses require two inches of water, gladioli one and a half inches, with daffodils and tulips needing a little less. In other words, you don't need to fill the vase with water all the way to the very top!

Violets and gardenias take in water through their leaves and petals, so spray them and they will keep their freshness longer. Also, make cross-cuts in the bottom of the stems of peonies and chrysanthemums to help them take in more water.

At the very least, you should change the water in the vase every day. Strip the leaves off all stems wherever they go below the surface of the water. Each time you snip off a piece of stem, dip the cut end of the stem in water at once. Keep flowers away from sunny windows, radiators, sources of heat and out of drafts and breezes.