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	How to Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer

To enjoy the beauty o freshly-cut flowers, these are the steps you need take in order to increase their life span.

Steps

1. Keep flowers in water immediately. Once the stems of flowers have been cut, you have detached their life support system.

2. Fill a plastic bucket with warm water up to a third to half way. Warm water has to be used since flowers consume warm water more easily than cold. Its advisable to put preservative in the water. Flowers only drink from the ends of the stems and not from the sides of the stems, and hence buckets should not be filled right till the top with water, as foliage present on stems below the water level will rot and dirty the water. It will lead to bacteria and the flowers will die quite rapidly. The foliage of marigolds, chrysanthemums, stock and daisies emit a very strong smell when left standing below water for a long time.

3. Go in the garden with the bucket of water. With a sharp pair of secateurs, cut the flower stems at an angle - a slanted cut helps in better consumption of water. Strip all foliage from the lower part of the stems which would stand below the water level. Keep the flowers as soon as possible in the water.

4. Don’t overcrowd flowers. Let sufficient air move between each flower. Placing too many flowers together in a bucket can squash and damage the petals. Keep the bucket in a cool dark place and let the flowers take a long drink before arangement. When picking short-stemmed flowers, go for a smaller container.

5. Let flowers take a good drink for 4-5 hours, preferably overnight prior to arranging. This process is known as conditioning. It helps the stems in filling up with water and the flowers will become crisp. These flowers will stay fresh twice as long as thoose that have not been conditioned nicely.

6. Add a flower preservative to kill bacteria in the water. Flower preservatives are sold in garden centres or supermarkets. Another option is to use a capful of household bleach in the water. If you don’t use a preservative, the water must be changed and the stems cut on an angle each day. But a preservative saves you the trouble of recutting and the water must be changed onle 2 times a week. Flowers like freesias, spray carnations and liliums have many buds. Adding a preservative in the water, helps in opening the buds.

Tips

· Wilted flowers can usually be revived by standing the stems in sufficiently hot water right till the flower heads. Once the water has cooled down, let the flowers to stand in the water for some hours prior to arranging. Roses can normally be freshened up by floating the entire stem, head etc in warm water for ½ hour.

· If you are choosing your own flowers, the best time to do this in the morning or the late evening. Sugar reserves in the stems are at their peak during these periods. Ideally the most appropriate time is early morning as the flower stems are full of water after the cool night air. Don’t ick flowers in the middle of the day when the sun is at its hottest. The heat of the sun reduces the water content in the stems and the flowers won’t last as long. If it is raining and the flowers are wet, shake them mildly to eliminate the extra water. Excessive water will usually damage flowers – particularly delicately petalled flowers.

· Most flowers should be plucked the moment they are bud or half open. You will then enjoy watching them gradually open up. The colour of the petals should be visible. If picked in the early stages of the bud, they might not open. This is partcularly true for tulips and roses. The green pointed sepals at the base of the rose should begin to point downwards. Irises and daffodils should be semi-opened. Pick Gladioli when the last 3-4 florets open and the upper florets are still in bud. Carnations, dahlias, marigolds, hydrangeas, camellias, gerberas and chrysanthemums should be plucked when they are completely opened.

· Keep flowers in warm water as quickly as you can. Unwrap from the paper, since paper can damage the flowers and cellophane can make them sweat. If cut flowers have been kept out of water for any amount of time, cells begin forming over the cut ends of the stems, that prevents the stem from absorbing water easily. To strip this sealed part, cut about 2.5cm (1") from the stem ends mostly with added preservative, and then let the flowers take a big drink before arranging.

· If you cannot keep flowers in water, keep them in a strong plastic bag with little water at the bottom. Fix the bag with a rubber band. Another option is to wrap flowers in moist newspaper. If travelling by car, keep the flowers in the coolest place. Once you alight from the car, recut the ends of the stems, keep them in water and let them adjust overnight before arranging.

· Some flowers need special treatment in order to prolong their life as much as possible. Flowers with woody stems have difficulty in absorbing the water easily. These flowers include lilac, hydrangea, and rhododendrons. To aid break down the thick fibres, divide the ends of the stems upwards for nearly 5 cm. (2") After this procedure, keep the stems in a container full of warm water and allow the flowers take a long drink before arranging.

· Seal the liquid in flowers with milky stems like poppies, poinsettias and dahlias. Place the ends of the stems over a flame of candle, gas jet or cigarette lighter for nearly 30 seconds till the end of the stem blackens. The flowers should be held at an angle to shield the delicate petals. Another way is to dip the stems in boiling water for nearly 30 seconds. Hold the flower heads at Hold the flower heads at an angle to shield the petals against steam by holding newspaper around the flowers. Keep stems immediately in warm water and let flowers take a long drink before arranging. If stems must be recut later on while arranging flowers, you have to carry out the above steps. To save this step, cut the stems of various lengths before closing the ends of the stems.

· Cut off the white part at the base of bulb flowers like tulips, daffodils, jonquils, narcissus, irises and hyacinths. Just let the green part of the stem consume water. Daffodils, jonquils and narcissus have a thick sap that seeps out from the end of the stems after they are cut. Clean it before keeping the stems in water. Separate these flowers from other flowers while they are being conditioned since the sap can affect other flowers. The thick sap can block the ends of stems and prevent consumption of water. Stand the stems in nearly 7.5 cm. (3") of water for at least 6 hours prior to arranging. Bulb flowers thrive in shallow water. If daffodils, jonquils and narcissus are kept in deep water, the thick stems can be filled with water and the stems dry up and the petals become papery.

Warnings

· Don’t keep flowers near a heater, above a television set or direct sunlight as the heat changes the life of the flowers. Don’t keep flowers close to a fan or in a draught.

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