Keep Valentine's Day Flowers Fresh

Presenting a bunch of wilted flowers on Valentine's Day may not convey the right message, unless that message runs along the lines of 'My love for you has faded, like these pathetic flowers' or 'See, I got you something for Valentine's Day, but I'm not out to impress you." I'd suggest cutting the heads off of the flowers or maybe giving black flowers if the former sentiment applies. If your heart is in the right place, however, either keep your flowers healthy or consider giving a different gift.

If you get Valentine's Day flowers from a florist, they probably include a packet of floral preservative, but if you pick flowers yourself or decide to custom-color them, you may want to make up some floral preservative to help keep your flowers fresh and beautiful. Though you can pay a lot for pre-packaged flower preservative, it's really easy and economical to make it yourself. Your preservative needs to contain water, food for the flowers, and a disinfectant to prevent bacteria, mold, and fungi from growing. Possibly the easiest way to make flower food is to mix together a can of Sprite™ (or other non-cola carbonated soft drink), refill the can with water, and add a splash of household bleach. If you don't have those ingredients handy, I have additional recipes for floral preservatives that you can try. Trim the stems of your flowers at an angle and underwater (so tiny air bubbles don't stick on the stems and prevent water from moving in). Flowers with long stems, like tulips, will benefit from having support for the first couple of hours after you put them in water. Either leave the flowers in their wrapping for loosely tie them together. You can remove the support once the stems are hydrated and strong. Keep your flowers in a cool location, preferably out of direct sunlight. Most flowers will last about a week if they are given proper care.