Make Your Flowers Last

The basics

1. Start with a clean vase. Wash it with hot soapy water. Bacteria shorten vase life more than anything else.
2. Recut every stem about an inch from the bottom at an angle, then get it into water quickly.
3. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Leaves in the water rot.
4. Use flower food if you have it, or change the water every day or two.
5. Refresh often. Each time you change the water, give the stems a fresh snip.
6. Keep them cool. Away from sunny windows, heat vents and the fruit bowl. Ripening fruit gives off a gas that ages flowers.

Flower by flower

• Dahlias don't open much more after cutting, so pick them when they're nearly fully open. Many growers stand fresh-cut stems in a few inches of very hot water and let it cool, which helps them drink.
• Zinnias: hold the stem about 8 inches below the bloom and give it a gentle shake. If it stays stiff, it's ready to cut. If it flops, wait a day or two.
• Snapdragons curve upward toward light if they're laid down, so keep them standing in a bucket.
• Strawflower and amaranthus dry beautifully. Hang them upside down somewhere dark and dry to keep them for months.

Cutting from your own garden

Cut in the cool of the morning or evening, never in midday heat. Carry a bucket of water with you, and let the flowers rest somewhere cool for a few hours before you arrange them.

A little care, and they'll last all week.