Make a bouquet of fresh flowers last
54.8% of Americans celebrate Valentine’s day, collectively spending over $19 billion on Flowers, candy, cards, and jewelry. Over 190 million roses are produced for Valentine’s day alone, with 34.3% of people receiving them for the occasion. Soon they will all be wondering how to make a bouquet of fresh flowers last, that’s why we’re here.
Adding longevity to the life of your beautiful flowers is a lot easier than you may believe. In fact, most items you can use are common household products you probably already have laying around. Browse through the list we have put together, but when in doubt keep it out! Don’t accidentally kill your flowers by winging it with the amounts. Remember, the goal is to prevent bacteria from growing in the water; if nothing else, be sure to replace the water in your vase every couple of days!
Apple Cider Vinegar
What can’t apple cider vinegar do?! Seems at every turn, this is one product that keeps solving problems of all kinds. Experts suggest mixing the vase water with two tablespoons of apple cider and two tablespoons of sugar before adding the flowers.
Soda
If you’re about to polish off a 2 liter of soda, or if you have some left in a can- you may want to make sure you keep 1/4 cup for your flower water. The sugar in the soda will help the blooms last longer on your bouquet. Clearly there are some benefits to the drink after all!
Bleach
I don’t know why but this one surprised me. Experts say a simple recipe: 3 drops of bleach, 1 quart water with 1 teaspoon of sugar has the power to keep the water from getting cloudy (preventing bacteria growth). Don’t worry, I’ve yet to read about an incident where the flowers turn white 😉
Vodka
In an effort to nourish the area where the flower was cut, people put a few drops of vodka (and other clear booze) in their vase water, with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Going this route will be a bit more high maintenance though, as it is advised you should be changing the water (and replacing the vodka/sugar combination) every other day.
Asprin
Described as a tried and true method to preserving your flowers, a crushed up tablet of asprin in the water before adding your flowers is a reliable way to extend the life of fresh cut flowers. I haven’t tried this one yet but it’s the next method I’m going to use come Valentine’s Day!