Would you like to keep your flowers fresher when you get them?

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Here is something I found that could help you keep the flowers you will be getting for a bit longer so that you can appreciate them and the giver for a longer period of time. Under normal circumstances, flowers get what they need from the plant on which they are growing. When severed from the plant, however, flowers are deprived of these essential substances. But commercial floral preservatives replace some of these essentials, helping your cut flowers to last longer. Such solutions contain sugar for nutrition, bleach to keep the water clear of bacteria, and citric acid to gently acidify the water. You can do a little of your own kitchen chemistry and make your own preservative using the recipe below. Homemade Flower Preservative Recipes Home mixes can be as effective as commercial preservatives. Here are several easy-to-make recipes: #1 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon household chlorine bleach 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice 1 quart lukewarm water #2 2 cups lemon-lime carbonated beverage 2 cups water ½ teaspoon household chlorine bleach #3 2 tablespoons white vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon household chlorine bleach 1 quart water For a good experiment try all three recipes, dividing up a big batch of flowers, making fresh cuts (with a very sharp knife) at the bottom of the floral stems every two days, replenishing the solutions daily, and see which recipe makes the flowers last the longest. Two dozen long-stemmed roses at Costco run about $15.00, for example, and can be easily divided into three groups of 8 long-stemmed roses. This experiment would cost less than $20 and you get to enjoy the roses.