As I mentioned in my last post I received flowers for Mother’s Day from my hubby.  Just like any girl I love receiving flowers and want them to last as long as possible.  But I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make that happen.  So I thought I’d share my five simple ‘Flower Power Booster” tips.

1. Replace water daily with fresh cool water.  Remember plants are constantly searching for water and even after they are cut, flower stems suck up moisture.  Replacing the water also helps prevent bacteria and mold growth which will reduce your flowers lifespan.  It’s best to fill the container with cool water because it makes the petals themselves last longer.  Although if you have buds that you want to coax open dip them in warm water for a few minutes.  Not sure why it works, but it does.
2. Cut the stems. Each time you replace the water snip a small amount off the bottom of each stem.  Plant cells, like your body’s cells attempt to heal wounds by creating a new layer over the exposed bits.  While this sounds good in theory it prevents the moisture your flowers need to last from being sucked in.  Cutting on an angle rather than straight across seems to work best.
3. Forget fancy flower food powder.  Just add an aspirin or a little lemon-lime soda to the water each time and it will do the same thing.  Any brand of either works fine.
4. Don’t be afraid to rearrange your flowers as things die off.  I always pull out expired blooms and rearrange the remaining flowers when necessary.  Sometimes I even divide them up into smaller arrangements to use throughout my house.
5. Put them where you will see them often.  Not only does this make them more enjoyable, but it reminds you to care for them each day.

I’ve used these tricks each time I’ve received flowers and often get up to enjoy them for 2 weeks!  Not only does it increase your time to enjoy their scent and beauty, but it shows appreciation for the effort someone took to get the flowers for you.  And that might just make them do it more often! 🙂

And to prove that it really does work, here’s another recent flower arrangement I received from the hubs just because.  The top photo was taken the day they were delivered and the bottom was 2 weeks later.  Granted it wasn’t as lush as the original arrangement, but they are still looking fresh and pretty! (Sorry for the poor quality iPhone pics, but you get the idea.)