there are 2 tricks that i know for cut flowers.

1. add sugar to the water

2. add a small amount of bleach to the water

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I love the sweet scents wafting in the breeze. I stop to admire the vibrant colors of all living things. And people think me odd. Then ODD I am!!!

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Rugby and Dodge are right.

I always use sugar in my flowers any time I bring them in. Can't wait for that time of the season again.

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For this "New Year" help me to be kinder and more loving to all around me, I pray.

Thanks Rugby! I knew they sold something to keep the flowers fresh longer, but I never looked into it! This is really nice to know, but how much sugar and how much bleach are you talking about?

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"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

And if you aren't near your sugar bowl,
you can add any clear pop, ie; 7~up, Sprite.
but it has to be the sugared kind, NOT DIET!!

Also an cut up aspirin too...

I love using Clorox Clean~up in mine..
Smells a little nicer than regular bleach....

And use warm water when you first fill the water,
then set it somewhere's cool..

****And always pick flowers first thing in the morning...
they have fed, and it's healthier for the flower..
especially its'a NO~NO to pick them during the hot sunshine of say around noon time...

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





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Dodge,
Picking the flowers for the vase...

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

quote:

---

Originally posted by RugbyHukr:
there are 2 tricks that i know for cut flowers.

1. add sugar to the water

2. add a small amount of bleach to the water

---

Does bleach kill the plant though?
I kinda of scared to put bleach.. its not bad for plants???
So confused right now

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A Sunflower Garden #7
Check out my website.

quote:

---

Does bleach kill the plant though?

---

Nope, you put in just a wee~bit compared to the
amount of water you have in the size vase you have...
It's like, I don't know, I've never measured it..
I'd say a tablespoon to a large vase..

What the bleach does is kills any bacteria build~ups in the water as the stem sticks in it.. and decomposes, which gives it a few days more to look pretty...

I do know you can buy large quantities of that stay fresh in like display size containers for business that you'd *they'd* sell for a $1.oo....
I'll see if I can hunt the info down..
*someone remind me, I have Boyscout stuff this weekend**

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

One moment .

I dont use sugar with my bleach to do this. I use bleach alone.. Juwt a drop......

Nay no feeding with it.

Sterilize only.

b

dodge

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''

rosepetal

here is a bouquet of my double whites.

Enjoy.



Can you smell them?

dodge

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''

Glad to help.;o)

I have purple too, one tree is lousy and the other one I ran over with my riding lawn mower, it is laying down, but I did pick posies off it.
I want the deep purple color one.. You must be hunting the old fashioned lilac? I think is what we have, cause it was here before us.

dodge

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''

Whew! Now I'm REALLY confused! I thought we were talking about how to make cut flowers last longer, & somehow it turned into a Lilac discussion! (Nice Whites, by the way! Yes, I smelled them the minute I saw them... such an unforgettable & wonderful fragrance! Thanks!)

quote:

---

Originally posted by weezie13:
I do know you can buy large quantities of that stay fresh in like display size containers.....

---

Is that what it's called Weezie? "Stay fresh"? Where do you find it in quantities like that? Someone told me recently that you can buy the little packets from florists, but they're WAY expensive that way!

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Dodge, I'm glad that using bleach in your flower vase works for you, to make the flowers last longer! I DO believe you, but I simply would rather not mess around with bleach, as I guess I'm too sloppy to get it exactly where I need it... I've ruined a lot of clothes, canvas deck shoes, throw rugs & carpeting by getting just one drop where I didn't intend for it to be!

My Grandkids and I take flowers from my yard to people we know who are hospitalized or shut in for one reason or another, & I would rather use the powder ("stay fresh, or whatever it's called), like what comes with cut flowers from the florist. I think it's better for me, all the way around, to be able to share what God has put in my yard with those who can't get out & tend to their own gardens, without it leading to buying the kids (or myself) new clothes!

Please do let us know how long your Mother's Day flowers last!


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Patty,
Did you know that aspirin has willow in it and willow is a natural rooting compound..

*But Bleach will not hurt the flowers,
most of the time it's a teaspoon or two..
just enough to kill the bacteria when the stem
in the water is rotting..*
but I have clothing like you're talking about
with white streaks down the front too..

I searched this morning for the info I had,
still can't find it..
but will when I get home late tonight...

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

On a side note , you can even put chopped up/powderized aspirin in a deep cut to stop it from bleeding until you can get to a doctor...
*and I know you're thinking aspirin has a blood thinning quality when taken internally, but when used on the outside, it heals/coagulates them shut.*

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

No, but when my husband was in his early 20's,
he gafted his hand open at the base of his palm to the middle of his baby finger, all the way thru and they could see tendons and stuff..
And his father knew about it, and they chopped up the aspirin, and shoved it in the cut...

When they got to the doctors, the doctor asked them pretty much the same question..
but it's an old timers "mother's cubboard" cure I guess...
Anyways probably shouldn't have posted that here as it is a Cutflower post..

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

I didn't know that about aspirin too, Weezie! Thanx!

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To each his own......

Aspirin for cuts,

But bleach is far more cheaper to use on flowers. I am a penny saver.

dodge

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''

Bleach is doing it for me.. My one carnation will be 2 weeks old sunday.. Down a bit but still nice.

dodge

aka barb

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''

Guess I've always been a little shy with the sugar, I do the others, but not that amount of sugar.. I"ll have to start adding more..

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Hi Weezie

My son just graduated last week and at the grad supper all the grad' mothers got a rose. I put 1 tsp of sugar in my rose bowl and it's still beautiful.

I do a lot of cut flowers all summer long this way and have most of them there for a week or more.

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For this "New Year" help me to be kinder and more loving to all around me, I pray.

weezie

Use empty soda cans.. I rigged up one for memorial day for the graves. Took a flower pot and put can in it filled with water. Put dirt all around it, put in my blooming azalea pieces.Added bubbler wrap to top of can.. Filled it all in like a flower....Presto.....instant Potted Azalea .....Have to hunt the photo for u to see.

dodge
barb

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''

What a versatile topic this has turned out to be!
Great idea for the flower/plant display, Dodge! Looks good!

Necessity being the mother of invention, I solved my problem of always running out of small vases! My Grandgirls & I pick flowers & take them to people that we know who are shut-in at home or in hospitals/nursing homes, & I was forever running out of vases (& so were the thrift stores!) I didn't feel good about asking sick people to save my vases for me (they have more important things to focus on, than my vase), so I started saving all our vitamin & over-the-counter medicine bottles.

On rainy days when my Grandgirls are here, we sit & cut out big circles of pretty gift wrap to cover the medicine bottles with, & tying ribbon at the mouth of the bottle to hold the wrap in place. (cellophane or plastic gift wrap works better than paper, of course, as they do get wet.)


They look nice, & it doesn't matter if they get thrown away, because they cost nothing to make & there are always more where those came from!

Medicine bottles come in all sizes, so there is always an appropriate sized "vase" to fit the flowers we choose. (We're also able to color coordinate our vases to the colors of our bouquets!) If the blossoms are top-heavy for the light weight vases, a few small rocks in the bottles keep them from tipping over.

Since my husband accuses me of never throwing anything away, I hate to disappoint him, so besides hanging onto empty medicine bottles, I save used ribbon from birthday & Christmas gifts, cellophane gift wrap & even solid colored plastic bags that you get from stores occasionally. All the materials are collected in a big box, ready for our rainy-day craft project... that way, we always have a vase handy for when we hear that someone might appreciate a visit & a few flowers to cheer them up!

Yes, the Roses are real... the first ones from that bush, this season! I used this opportunity to show them off, although they ARE a bit large for the biggest of the bottles we decorate! (Actually, that one is a plastic mayo jar!) The little blue flowers are my favorite, Nigella damascena (AKA love-in-a-mist, devil in the bush, Jack in the green, ragged lady & fennel flower.)

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Patty,
Those flower vases are beautiful...
And sooo are those flowers, so hugeeeee..
And deep red.. great arrangement for awesome vases..

I love your ideas..

I save those "Juice Hug Jugs" to send the boys with over to Gramma's house.. so, if they accidently trip, they don't break and shatter glass....
Or if I let them sit by the sidewalk and "sell~stuff", I'll stick a couple of flowers in those "hug~jug vases'" and send them home with the people..(of course most of the time it's Gramma and the one neighbor, but that's half the fun of sitting there, is the anticipation..)

Sorta like how this post will ever end up? I am just as guilty for tangenting posts too..

Love the love-in-a-mist too, so pretty...

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Weezie, that sounds so cute... the kids "selling stuff" at the curb!! The Hug Jug idea is excellent for the kids, so they don't have to worry about breaking a vase or jar, & getting cut (or getting in twubble!)

I have no idea where this topic will end up, Weezie! (I keep wondering if someone is holding stock in a bleach company!) Never the less, when I saw the zig-zag going to the subject of what to use for vases, I decided I'd throw my 2 cents worth in! (I also put it over in the craft forum.)

However, I AM still looking for the name of a commercial cut flower preservative, like what florists send in little packets with cut flowers! I'd already tried all the home "recipes" that people have suggested here, (INCLUDING BLEACH), & am simply not satisfied with the results, as compared with whatever is in those packets!

I know that besides containing sugar, the commecial/professional preservative also contains some sort of a microorganism (bacteria) inhibitor & a "respiratory inhibitor" that work together to "feed" the flowers & aid them in water uptake. Apparently, the commercial preservative is a very illusive commodity, but I haven't given up my quest to find out what it's called & where to get it!

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Pattys

The only stock have, (Is Livestock)

Ha ha
Cows I live on a fare...Oh well, your half right.

dodge

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''''Those who live in the Lord Never See Each Other For The Last Time!''''