Then there's the special joy of receiving flowers, whether it's a red rose from the local florist or a fistful of dandelions from your daughter. Flowers, especially the intention behind them, mean so much.

Unfortunately though, flowers wilt. Do you ever feel delighted to receive beautiful flowers only to feel a little depressed as you watch them fade? While you can't bring cut flowers back to life, here are some tips for keeping them looking fresh longer. Let's start with learning the best way to cut your own bouquets...
What's the best way to cut flowers?
Flowers keep best when cut with a sharp knife (un-serrated) and plunged immediately into water. Always make a cut on a slant, as it exposes more stem surface area. Also, remove leaves that will be under water in the arrangement, but do not remove thorns from roses as it tends to shorten their life.

How does water get up the stem against gravity?
The flower stem is filled with cells that work like a bundle of soda straws. As long as the bottom of the straws are submerged, you can draw water up through them. But pull the straws out of the glass while sucking on them and all you get is air.

Flowers do the same thing. Their demand for water is continuous, even when they're cut away from the mother plant. The difference is that cells in the stem have tiny screens that allow water to pass, but not air. So, when the flower stem is cut, a small air bubble forms at the end of the stem and is trapped. This acts like a barrier and prevents more water from getting up the stem -- even if you replace the stem in water.

What's in those little packets the florists give you?

When a flower is cut from the mother plant, it is separated from its life support system. Just like an astronaut without a temporary life support system -- it's in trouble. Thus, nearly all commercial floral preservatives contain the basic components of the life support system for the cut flower: a biocide (explained below), an acidifier, and sugar.

Biocides are chemicals that kill the bacteria, yeasts and fungi that feed on the sap that seeps from the cut flower stem. It's an amazing sequence of events: You cut a rose stem and place it in a vase of water. Bacteria start to grow, and within 3 hours, there are 30 million bacteria in the vase! These bacteria plug the tiny straw-tubes that conduct water to the flower. As a result, buds fail to open, necks weaken and bend, and leaves wilt. The acid helps water move up the stem more easily and the sugar acts as a flower food.

Put a penny in the vase: Tale or real solution?

If you don't like to use chemicals to prolong the life of your cut flowers, there are "natural" alternatives. Some methods work better than others. Here's one for you: does a penny and an aspirin tablet placed in the vase water really do any good? Some say the combination does keep flowers fresh longer. The theory is that the copper acts a fungicide and the aspirin makes the water more acidic. Here are more food + acid combinations:

Add one part lemon-lime soda (not diet) to 3 parts water. Then to each quart of this solution, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach. Thereafter, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach after each 4 days of use.
To 1 quart water add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon bleach.
Add 2 ounces Listerine mouthwash per gallon of water. Listerine contains sucrose (food) and a bactericide. Listerine is acidic and is said help water move up the cut stem.

Order flowers online with Enchanted Flowers for all occasions!
Call 905-889-2538 to speak to a customer service representative or visit our flower shop at 8199 Yonge St, Thornhill, ON L3T 2C6