Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

Flowers need constant access to water or they'll shrivel up. For this reason, when cutting your blooms, keep them in a water source as much as possible. Morning is ideal, as this is when flowers are the most hydrated. They've had dew and cool night air to enjoy, so they're filled with water. When grabbing your plants, their stems should be firm, which indicates they're hydrated.

Because flowers should stay hydrated, you'll need to move them to a vase soon after cutting them. Once you retrieve your flowers from your garden, place them either in a sink full of water or stick the ends of the stems under a running faucet. This way, they'll still get to suck up water while you prepare the vase.