Fresh Flower Care for Floral Arrangements and Cut Flowers

You've just received a beautiful gift of fresh flowers, after you express your thanks and bask in the envious admiration of friends, what should you do next? How can you get the most life out of your fresh floral arrangement? With a little bit of extra care your flowers should stay fresh for days to come.

Keep the floral foam or vase saturated with fresh, clean preservative water mixed according to the directions proved on the packet.

If the water becomes murky or cloudy, replace it entirely.

Remove any spent blooms or foliage.

Keep flowers in a cool location away from direct sunlight, air vents, radiators and

Other heat sources; also avoid spots near air conditioners or on top of appliances.

If your flowers are arranged in a vase it is a good idea to re-cut the stems daily. To do this grasp the flowers firmly at the top of the vase to hold the shape of the design and trim off about half an inch of the stems off using garden shears or in a pinch, plain old scissors.

How can you choose the best fresh flowers to buy for your friends and home? Once you've chosen healthy flowers how can you keep them fresh?

Look for firm flowers and green, not yellow foliage.

Flowers, perversely enough, are at their most beautiful just before they die. Select the bud rather than the showier open bloom.

Shelter your flowers during travel. Avoid extremes of temperature on the drive home.

Select a roomy enough vase for the job. Clean it well with hot soapy water, rinse well.

Flowers last much longer with correctly mixed preservative. Mix according to package directions. FORGET all of the so-called home remedies rumored to prolong flower life. They don't work. It's better to use plain, fresh, pure water than water contaminated with aspirin or soft drinks.

Before arranging your flowers cut off about one inch of stem (or more as cosmetically necessary) with a sharp knife under water. Cutting them at angle prevents the stems from resting completely on the bottom of your vase. Never crush or bruise the stems as it shortens flower life. Re-cut flowers daily if possible.

Remove all foliage that will fall below the water line.