Homegrown: Better Bouquets

Valentine's Day couldn't come at a better time when accompanied by fresh, fragrant flowers to brighten up the gray days of February.

Linn County Master Gardener, Lisa Slattery, offers tips for keeping those bouquets at their best:

February is heart health month, and, of course feature's Valentine's Day.  Lots of folks will be giving and receiving cut flower bouquets.  If you are the lucky recipient of fresh cut flowers this month there are some steps you can take to make your flowers last as long as possible.

The sooner you can place cut flowers in cool water the better.  This prevents air from entering the stems and inhibiting water flow up the stem.  If your flowers have been out of water at any time, cut off about a 1/2 inch piece off the bottom of each stem under running water.  Make these cuts an at angle using a very sharp knife or garden scissors.  This creates a fresh opening for your blooms to access the moisture they require.

It's also best to remove all the foliage (leaves) that will be sitting below the water line in your vase.  If you leave the foliage on the stems below the water line the leaves will start to break down sitting in the water and will encourage molding and rot in your water.

If your flowers come with a packet of commercial flower preservative go ahead and use that in your vase since it helps with preserving them.  If you don't have one of those handy packets you can make a homemade version by mixing 1T of sugar and 1/4 tsp bleach into a vase of water.  Or try 1/4 tsp of citric acid (available at a drug store) mixed into 1 gallon of water.  Keep your vase filled with fresh water (and the above additive) and try to avoid using chemically softened water or super hot or icy cold water.  Change the water frequently to prevent the stems from molding.

Lastly, make sure you place your bouquet in a cool, brightly lit location, but make sure it is out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources like the top of a refrigerator or TV. Also keep your bouquet away from furnace vents and cold door drafts.

You can follow all of these cut flower tips for all the flowers you cut from your garden during the growing season and bring inside or share in bouquets.

If you would like to give flowers that will last longer that cut blooms and might be a bit more economical, put together a gift basket of your own with some small pots, a bag of seed starting soil, and some herb or flower seeds.  Your recipient will be delighted.  This is also a great give for children along with your time helping to plant the seeds together.  Houseplants also make wonderful and lasting Valentine's Day gifts, particularly flowering ones.  However, it is hard to beat the beauty of a tall vase filled with a dozen gorgeous and fragrant red roses.