The beauty of having a garden is buds continually blooming on one plant or another throughout most of the year. While this provides lovely views from your windows, it can also be nice to bring some beauty indoors.

Don’t be afraid to snip off a few blossoms each week. Many plants thrive after trimming and may reward you with even more flowers. Once you’ve gathered a bouquet from your garden, consider these tips to help keep fresh flowers at their best for a week or more:

• Bacteria can quickly destroy fresh flowers, which is why it’s important to use a clean vase. Any floral foam, wires or frogs used in your arrangement must also be washed in warm, soapy water.
• Remove any lower leaves that may come in contact with water inside the vase.
• Carefully trim each flower stem at a 90-degree angle. It may also be helpful to cut flowers while they are underwater to keep moisture flowing into the stems.
• Keep your arrangement out of direct sunlight. The darker and cooler the room, the longer your blossoms will bloom.
• Adding a crushed aspirin, bleach, vinegar, sugar or penny to the vase are age-old tricks. However, you can keep bacteria at bay and help flowers thrive by adding a packet of flower food to the water. It can be found at your local florist or home improvement store.

Flowers are living things that still require water, food and care after they are cut. Every 2-3 days, be sure to change the water, replenish the flower food and recut the stems for additional days of glorious color.

Find more ideas for freshening up your indoor spaces at eLivingtoday.com.

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