Aren’t flowers beautiful? I love having fresh flowers in my home. There’s just something about them that brightens up a room. There are quite a few benefits to having them in your home. They clean the air, brighten your mood, make excellent gifts, and compliment your interior design. Those are quite a few benefits. Unfortunately, fresh cut flowers do not last long.

For the last three weeks I have been working with different ideas I received from our local florist Michelle. I am happy to say the information she provided has been instrumental in keeping our fresh flowers longer than the usual 5 to 7 days. We have been able to keep fresh for a full 14 days. Well actually 13 days. On the 14th day we threw them out and purchased more. So I thought this would be a perfect time to share with you the tips she provided.

Tip 1: Clean the vase every two to three days with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. You can’t just put the flowers in the vase of water and then walk away for the next two weeks. Thats for sure what I was doing. Am I the only one? You not only have to clean the vase every two to three days with bleach or hydrogen peroxide, but you need fresh water as well. This is done to minimize the growth of bacteria in the water.

Tip 2: Cut the flowers when you clean the vase. Cut flowers will last longer if the stems are cut correctly. Cutting the stems correctly helps them take up water quickly. Cut about half an inch of the end, at a forty-five degree angle. Preferably, cut the stems under cold water. This will prevent air from getting into the veins in the stem of your flower.

Tip 3: Remove any leaves that come with the flowers. Leaves take up alot of the moisture and leave the flowers with very little. While your trimming the leaves also be sure to fill your vase with a decent amount of water.

Tip 4: Keep the flowers fresh. A few ways to keep them fresh are to add flower food to the fresh water. Our local florist Michelle said we can always come and ask for more flower food. Another way to keep them fresh is to add lemonade to your water. I did not try this, but I have heard of others trying it. The sugar from the lemonade nourishes the plants and will make the blossoms last longer.

I hope these tips help you the way they helped me. If you have some tips feel free to share below!