Rachael Zarda

For anyone who knows me, it’s no secret that I can’t keep an indoor plant alive. It’s turned into a succulents-only environment over here. I have a serious love for fresh flowers around the house though, so I’ve been determined to keep my arrangements alive and kicking for as long as possible. I’ve found a pretty fool-proof system for doing so, and since the very best flowers are in full bloom right now (peony season!!), I thought I’d share some of my ways I’ve been able to get the most bang for my floral buck.

Cut the stems at an angle. Recut the stems and change the water every few days.

Remove the foliage that will be under water. The leaves will rot and speed up the decomposition process.

Put the flowers in the fridge overnight. Yep, vase and all. The colder temps allows the flowers to absorb more water, lengthening their lifespan. It’ll buy you at least a couple more days.

Use the plant food. I usually ask for extra food packets if I’m buying from a florist or grocery store (they’ll give a handful to you for free), but if you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own simply by dissolving 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of warm water.

Now you have a few nuggets of knowledge to pass along with those Mother’s Day flowers this weekend. Do you have any tricks for keeping your arrangements looking fresh for an extended period of time?