Summer Sensations
The flowers of late spring/summer — daisies, peonies, irises, and sunflowers, to name just a few — are at their peak due to the light intensity, longer days, fertile soil, and temperatures of the season. These sensuous flowers have matured at their natural pace, effecting perfect formation of stem, leaf, and bud, which leads to more robust flowers with far greater intensity of color and extended vase life.

While chemical preservatives and floral foam are helpful in keeping flowers fresh, there are many natural alternatives to help your summer bouquet live a longer, fuller life. And they're all as close as your kitchen cupboard!

Here are some of nature's tips for keeping your beloved blooms as fresh and radiant as the season itself:

Your Bouquet's Beginnings
Extending Your Bouquet's Life
Revitalizing Your Bouquet

Your Bouquet's Beginnings

• When arranging or rearranging, re-cut the stems diagonally using a knife or garden shears. Hold the stem under a steady flow of lukewarm water while cutting.
  
• Cut flowers in the morning or evening, not the hottest part of the day.
  
• Insert each flower separately into a vase or container filled with room-temperature water.
  
• Dip rose stems into peppermint oil before placing them into water.
  

Extending Your Bouquet's Life

• Add a few foxglove stalks around the existing flowers.
• Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water for anemones, lilies, and gladioli.
• Drop a pinch of salt into the water for roses, snapdragons, and violets.
• Mix two teaspoons of sugar or lemonade to water containing asters.
• Reduce murky water by adding one aspirin tablet.
• Spray a fine mist on leaves and blossoms during hot-weather periods.
• Place your arrangement in a temperate location, away from direct sunlight and electrical appliances. Avoid particularly humid or drafty areas.

Revitalizing Your Bouquet

• Dip the flower stems into a cup of vodka or gin for up to five seconds, then replace into fresh water.
• Immerse the whole flower — stems and blossoms — into cool water for no more than 15 minutes.
• If only the blooms are drooping, use a pin to prick the stem just beneath the flower.

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