Assuming you are talking about flowers gathered from your yard, start by cutting them early in the morning or late in the day. Immediately place the cut stems in a bucket with preferably warm water(100º-110ºF). Choose single bloom stems, such as daisy, that have just opened. Choose multiple bloom stems, such as delphinium, when half to 2/3 of the flowers have opened, because buds that are too small may not open. Exceptions are daffodil, iris, tulip and peony which should be cut as buds. Gladiolus can be cut as soon as the bottom two blooms have opened. Make cuts on herbaceous stems at a diagonal. Make cuts on woody stems straight across. Cut the stems longer than you will need for the finished arrangement.
Bring in the cut flowers and let them rest in a cool spot while you decide on a vase. You need to clean up the stems before arranging them. Fill a vase half full with water. Remove all leaves from a stem that would be underwater in the vase. Leaves that touch the water make it easier for bacteria to grow, which makes the water foul. Re-cut stems, especially roses, below the water level in your bucket at an angle and immediately place them in the vase. This prevents air from causing a blockage in the stem. Woody stems, too, should be cut below water, straight across, then split up the end about 1 inch, and placed in the vase.
Cut flowers will use up a lot of water the first day, so plan to add more water the next morning. Plan on poring off the old water, trimming the stems about an inch and placing them in new water about every third day. Even if you use some method to prevent bacterial growth, this is the most reliable way to keep the flowers fresh. Nonetheless, some flowers will go more quickly than others. Remove them as they begin to look tired, and move the rest of the bouquet to a smaller/narrower vase if needed. Place arrangements out of direct sunlight and vents, and, If possible, moving flower arrangements to a cooler area each night should prolong bloom.
Some flowers require special handling. Daffodils and narcissus release a sap that can make other flowers wilt, so place these flowers in a separate vase for at least two hours before mixing them with other flowers; discard the daffodil water. Hydrangea stems should be quickly dipped into boiling water before setting them in the vase. Poppies should be cut when the green calyx splits and the bud just begins to open. Their stems should be dipped in boiling water or seared in an open flame for 7 to 10 seconds. Even so, poppies are short-lived cut flowers.
Indoor? Outdoor? Where do you live? Shade area,Full Sun,Drought conditions,Wetlands? Do you mean pick ones/choose ones that provide long lasting blooms that you can grow or how to get them to last after you pick them?
Hi there, I've always found that the best way for us to pick flowers is to visit the local nursery. They have flowers that do well in our area. Annuals usually tend to bloom all summer long, where perennials seem to have a shorter bloom season. But I would inquire at the nursery for sure.
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Assuming you are talking about flowers gathered from your yard, start by cutting them early in the morning or late in the day. Immediately place the cut stems in a bucket with preferably warm water(100º-110ºF). Choose single bloom stems, such as daisy, that have just opened. Choose multiple bloom stems, such as delphinium, when half to 2/3 of the flowers have opened, because buds that are too small may not open. Exceptions are daffodil, iris, tulip and peony which should be cut as buds. Gladiolus can be cut as soon as the bottom two blooms have opened. Make cuts on herbaceous stems at a diagonal. Make cuts on woody stems straight across. Cut the stems longer than you will need for the finished arrangement.
Bring in the cut flowers and let them rest in a cool spot while you decide on a vase. You need to clean up the stems before arranging them. Fill a vase half full with water. Remove all leaves from a stem that would be underwater in the vase. Leaves that touch the water make it easier for bacteria to grow, which makes the water foul. Re-cut stems, especially roses, below the water level in your bucket at an angle and immediately place them in the vase. This prevents air from causing a blockage in the stem. Woody stems, too, should be cut below water, straight across, then split up the end about 1 inch, and placed in the vase.
Cut flowers will use up a lot of water the first day, so plan to add more water the next morning. Plan on poring off the old water, trimming the stems about an inch and placing them in new water about every third day. Even if you use some method to prevent bacterial growth, this is the most reliable way to keep the flowers fresh. Nonetheless, some flowers will go more quickly than others. Remove them as they begin to look tired, and move the rest of the bouquet to a smaller/narrower vase if needed. Place arrangements out of direct sunlight and vents, and, If possible, moving flower arrangements to a cooler area each night should prolong bloom.
Some flowers require special handling. Daffodils and narcissus release a sap that can make other flowers wilt, so place these flowers in a separate vase for at least two hours before mixing them with other flowers; discard the daffodil water. Hydrangea stems should be quickly dipped into boiling water before setting them in the vase. Poppies should be cut when the green calyx splits and the bud just begins to open. Their stems should be dipped in boiling water or seared in an open flame for 7 to 10 seconds. Even so, poppies are short-lived cut flowers.
Indoor? Outdoor? Where do you live? Shade area,Full Sun,Drought conditions,Wetlands? Do you mean pick ones/choose ones that provide long lasting blooms that you can grow or how to get them to last after you pick them?
Hi there, I've always found that the best way for us to pick flowers is to visit the local nursery. They have flowers that do well in our area. Annuals usually tend to bloom all summer long, where perennials seem to have a shorter bloom season. But I would inquire at the nursery for sure.