Caring for Fresh Flower Arrangements

​It takes as much care to keep your flowers fresh, after arranging, as it does to arrange them. Remember to inspect your arrangement often after placing it in your home.
When recently making a single rose budvase, I noticed that the rose only lasted about 2 days. The bloom began to slump over at the top of the stem. I knew it should have held up longer.
When I removed the flower from the vase, I discovered that the leaves were much drier than the rose. A good indicator to the condition of the flowers in an arrangement are the leaves. Check often the leaves on the flowers. If the leaves are bright in color, but look a little dry, you may be able to save the arrangement.

After investigating, I discovered that the budvase was in the draft of the heater. I had done a no-no.  We had a long cold spell, and the heater was running more often. Many times this effect may also occur by placing the arrangement in a window that receives direct sunlight. This makes the rose to drink water faster, causing the flower to dry faster. It also increases bacteria in the water.
Remove the flowers from the vase. Clean and dry the vase. Fill a clean sink with warm water and flower preservative. Fill the vase with fresh water and preservative. Re-cut the stem of the flowers underwater about ½ inch. Rearrange the flowers in the vase.
Spending the time caring for your flower arrangement will add more experience to your floral knowledge. It will teach you ways to improve your involvement with fresh flowers.