Fresh-cut flowers are an excellent gift for many occasions - to wish a happy birthday, to express sympathy, or celebrate the fist day of spring.
One has received a beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers and is wondering how to lengthen their charm. Whether it's a single bud, a small bunch or an abundant arrangement, a little effort can make a big difference.
Here are a few tips to extend the life of fresh cut flowers.
First of all, take a sharp knife and remove any leaves that are below the waterline. Leaves in water promote bacterial growth. Then put fresh flowers in cold water and cut the stems. Fresh cut flowers will last longer if you use boiled or filtered water. Cut the stem tips crosswise (the cuts should be 5-8 cm deep), pull the quarters apart and add flower food solution. One should use food solution (it can be replaced by a teaspoonful of sugar) each time he/she changes the water for the bouquet. If possible, re-cut stems underwater every 3 days each time you change the water in your vase. If it's a huge bouquet, make sure all the stems stand in water, as the stems' lengths can be different.
If cut flowers are not very fresh, they might be revived by putting into a bathtub, filled with cold water. Then take them out, wrap stems in newspaper and put into a vase. When the newspaper dries, you can take it off and put the flowers in the water.
Keep fresh cut flowers in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight.
Artificial flowers make an elegant solution for home and office d'or, and are easy to take care of.
Polyester artificial flower arrangements can be washed in warm water with a small amount of detergent, and then rinsed in cold water.
The best way to clean silk artificial flowers and plants is to put them into a large grocery paper bag, and to add one cup of table salt. Roll the top down, shake the bag. The salt will take the dust off the leaves. Make sure you shake the salt off the artificial flowers or plants, when you take them out of the bag. You can reuse the salt in the paper bag for next cleaning.