if you are like most people, you like getting fresh flowers. You know when you order flowers for someone fresh flowers from the local florist, we know they will like the gift. People in the United States spend about $26.6 billion every year on floral arrangements and products. We buy most of our flowers for ourselves. It has been estimated that at least 63% of flower purchases are not gifts. And people often think buying flowers for Valentine’s Day is all about pleasing girlfriends but men like to get flowers as gifts, too. At least 36% of wives buy their husbands flowers, according to the American Society of Florists.

When we get a floral arrangement from the flower delivery company, everyone wants to know what they can do to keep those flowers looking great. Here are some tips from the local florist for keeping them looking pretty longer.

1. Start with a clean vase. You do not need anything special. Take some basic soap and water. If you can get the water hot to at kill any fungi or bacteria that can be bad for your flowers and make them age faster.

2. Fill the vase with warm water. If you can get the water to be about 110 degrees, your flowers will last longer. If you can get water that has been degassed, that is your best bet. Otherwise, let the water sit for a few minutes, this allows air to escape and creates a better environment for your floral arrangement.

3. Feed your flowers. There are several things you feed your flowers with. They include:

• Add the packet of flower food that came with the flowers. It has bleach to fight off microbes, citric acid to promote water uptake, and sugar to keep your flowers looking fresh.
• Give your flowers some apple cider vinegar and sugar. Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to two tablespoons of sugar and add this to the water in your vase say people from the local florist.
• Give your flowers some booze. Mix a few drops of alcohol like vodka and one teaspoon of sugar into the water. The alcohol helps inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi and the sugar and alcohol provide some nourishment.
• Give your flowers some aspirin. Before you add your flowers to a vase, you should crush up a tablet of aspirin and add that to the water. This will keep the flowers looking fresh longer.

Note: You should change the water every few days. You will have to add more of the alcohol, packet from the local florist, aspirin or apple cider vinegar.

4. Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle. By cutting the stems this way, you provide more surface area for the water to use to get to the xylem of the flower. This also helps keep the number of air bubbles that can block up the stem to a minimum. This allows the water to get where it is needed and not get blocked up by the bubbles.

5. Spray with hairspray. Hold the spray about 12 inches from the flowers and spray the undersides of the petals and leaves. This is a great way to keep the flowers looking very fresh and pretty for a longer period of time.

6. Do not keep fruit near your flowers. When you get a delivery from the local florist, do not put them near your fruit bowl. The people at Charlotte flower shops tell their customers that as fruit ripens, they give off ethylene. This will shorten the lifespan of any floral arrangements.

7. Put your flowers in a cool space in your home. You do not want to keep your flowers near your heater, fireplace or in the sun. When you leave for work in the morning, you can even put them in the fridge, just remember to keep them away from any fruit that you have in there.

As beautiful as floral arrangements are, and they do really brighten up any home, they do not last forever. That may be one of their selling points. With these seven tips, you can keep your flowers looking really great for at least a few extra days.

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