Basic TLC for flowers, from garden to vase

1. Cut blooms from the garden early in the morning.

2. Re-cut stems at a 45° angle-this allows flowers to absorb the most water.

3. To help slow the growth of bacteria, which clogs the bloom's water-conducting tubes and hastens wilting, always use a clean container, and remove all foliage below the water line, and treat water with a teaspoon or less of ordinary household bleach, and just a pinch of pre-diluted sugar. Or use a commercial flower food, which combines a mild fungicide with sugar and acid.

4. Place flowers in an area away from direct heat or light; a cool area is best.

5. Each day, prune any wilted leaves and remove spent blooms. Check water: When it gets cloudy, replace it with fresh and re-cut stems.

Got a little extra time?

After snipping flowers and re-cutting stems as described in Steps 1 and 2, try this super-conditioner. Then continue with Steps 5 and 6 as above:

a.. Immediately plunge stems into warm (about 110°) water-it moves up the stems faster than cold. If you can take a pail of water into the garden with you, so much the better. Otherwise, do as soon as you get back into the house.

b.. Remove excess foliage and place stems in a clean container.
c.. Add a commercial flower food-a composite of sugar, acid and
a mild fungicide-to prolong the life of your flowers. d.. Leave blooms in their food bath for two hours; arrange as you wish in a clean container.

Two of the Pro's Tricks:

a.. Double the life of flowers by putting them in the fridge or a cold room overnight.

b.. Get buds to open faster by putting stems in warm water.

Suggestions for specific blooms

1. Violets take in water through their petals, so they'll appreciate being submerged in water overnight.

2. Daffodil stems leak a sap that shortens the life of other cut flowers. To avoid this, leave them alone in water for six hours before mixing them with other blooms.

3. Cut poppies just as they lift their drooping heads erect but before the flower completely opens. Then seal the bottom few inches of the stem in boiling water or with a lighted match; this conserves moisture and prevents the milky sap, which clogs water-conducting cells, from leaking out.

4. Pick roses with buds only half-open.

5. Snip calendula in bud or near bud and they will keep in water for a week or more.

6. Cosmos can last five to seven days in the vase if they're cut when they first open and before pollen has formed.

7. Crush the bottom 3 inches of branches of flowering shrubs such as lilac, Deutzia, Beautybush, and Butterfly Bush with a hammer to expose more fibers to the water.

8. Proper conditioning is the secret to gorgeous, long-lasting dahlias: After re-cutting stems, put flowers in a container of hot water (160°) and place in a cool spot for a few hours. (Stash them in the fridge for that time and their stems harden even more-a plus if trying more intricate arrangements.

9. Shasta daisies are especially long-lived in a vase. Cut when petals are open but center disk is fresh and tight. Condition overnight, beginning with warm water. Split any older woody stems to allow better water absorption.

10. Strip lower leaves off mums and condition stalks in warm water for a few hours. Then cut stems at an angle and arrange in cool water.

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