Best Ever Flower Arrangements

Keep fresh flowers looking their best with these tips and tricks!

1. Fill your sink with lukewarm water and submerge the flowers while you gather your materials. You'll need a vase that will fit the flowers (try something classic or more modern) or a cute set of smaller bud vases like these. Thrift stores are great places to pick up vases.

2. Invest in a pair of sharp flower scissors and shears that can handle tougher stems. This will enable you to trim the stems without crushing them, which will cut off water flow and kill them faster. Give all of your stems a fresh, clean cut at a 45-degree angle (this maximizes water flow) under running water, taking off at least an inch of stem. Next, trim off any growth that will fall below the water line in your vase. Some florists like to remove all the leaves so that all of the nutrients go directly to the flowers.

3. Dip the tip of each freshly cut stem into alum powder (or try this liquid option) to keep the stems open and unclogged (or commit to trimming the stems every other day).

4. Fill your vases with water and add any flower food that came with your bouquet. Add in a teaspoon of germicidal bleach (killing the germs can help your flowers last longer). If no flower food came with your stems, pour in a little regular lemon-lime soda (the flowers like the bubbles and the sugar).

5. Fill out your bouquet with re-usable artificial greenery. Branches like this complement any bouquet, or you can use more dramatic stems or branches for a different look. Just be sure to use a heavier vase for heavier branches.

6. To potentially double (or even triple!) the life of your arrangement, consider storing them in the refrigerator overnight or whenever they're not on display, like professional florists do. If your regular fridge is packed, consider picking up a mini-fridge just for this purpose (the removable shelves in this one make it a great option). If floral art is your passion, go all-out with a professional, full-size flower refrigerator!

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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