Make your fresh floral arrangement last longer

Every thought "I wish these flowers would last longer"? Well there are a few things you can do to get the maximum life from your arrangement.

#1 - Recut the stems and change the water. By cutting about 1/2 inch off the stems and changing the water in the vase every three days, you can add days to the life of your arrangement. Bacteria are the problem. They clog the stems so water and nutrients can't get to the flower. Adding a few drops of household bleach to the water helps a great deal. Not too much - just a few drops. You don't want to bleach the color out of the flowers.

#2 - Use the flower food the florist gives you. It contains sugar and other compounds which cut flowers can use. Dissolve the packet in a quart of water, and use that solution when you change the water. Use the food in vased arrangements, and those done in design containers. This kind of flower food won't help a potted flower - it won't hurt them either - so I recommend good ole Miracle Grow for potted plants.

#3 - Water arrangements done in floral foam daily. Floral foam serves 2 purposes: it supports the flower stems helping the arrangement keep its shape, and it moves water to the end of the stem where it can be absorbed by the flower. Most cut floral arrangements done in foam will need 4 - 6 fl oz of water daily.

#4 - Avoid heat sources. Direct prolonged sunlight, space heaters, dishwashers, refrigerators, car heaters - essentially anything that gives off heat - will toast your arrangement. Be careful on the ride home during cold months not to set the arrangement in the path of your car heater. Rooms which might store heat, such as closed sunrooms, will sap the strength from your arrangement and cause premature wilting.