I know I’m not the only one who has had it up to her eyeballs with winter this year. After my trip to the Poconos last weekend I’ve determined that the ONLY people happy about this crazy winter are the ski resorts.

I’m glad someone is happy.

So whats a gal to do when she’s had all she can take? Buy flowers!

Follow my tips to buy the longest lasting cut flowers and treat them right and you’ll have fresh blooms for several rooms.

(see what I did there?)

If you are like me though you don’t spend money on flowers very often so you want to make sure to get the most bloom for your buck. So how do you do that? By buying flowers that are long lasting and making sure to take care of them so that you can enjoy them for up to two or maybe three weeks.

Yes, there are flowers that will last that long, believe it or not. Here is what to look for…

Alstroemeria –  I love alstroemeria (above). It comes in lots of colors and is a delicate pretty flower. Alstroemeria can last 2 weeks or more if you are sure to get fresh, mostly closed flowers. In the photo above you’ll see that the ones on the left are quite a bit more open and the leaves are rather soft and floppy. You will want to choose the ones on the right as the flowers are closed and the leaves are crisp. 

Carnations –  Carnations aren’t my favorite flower but they are long lasting and come in a wide variety of colors including striped variations. Large carnations have 1 flower on 1 stalk while the mini carnations have several branches on 1 stalk with a flower on each branch. The smaller carnations are a great flower for filling in little holes in an arrangement. Carnation flowers come in a smooth petal or more frilly edge.

Daisies – Daisies are one of my favorite flowers – the work horses of the flower design world. They are long lasting, come in lots of natural colors and can be colored lots of vibrant shades (though the colored ones don’t last quite as long). They have strong study stems that do well in floral foam and serve nicely as a support for other flowers in a vase.

Chrysanthemums – (Not shown) Mums, as they are commonly called, are a lot like daisies in that they come in a variety of colors and are a good study flower that can last up to 20 days in a vase.

While roses seem to get all of the glory these flowers are the ones you want to purchase if you are on a budget or wish to have long lasting flowers. 

After purchasing fresh flowers be sure to get them home and in water right away. Don’t leave your flowers in the car while you do more errands or you won’t get to enjoy them as long as you might like.

Even if you can’t arrange them right away put them in a vase with water and get to them as soon as you can. 

Once you are ready to process your flowers you’ll want to gather the preservative packet(s), a way to cut the stems like these Fiskars shears (I usually tend to use a florists knife but that takes some practice!) and a vase or two.

When you first arrange your flowers cut the stems a little longer than you might like as you’ll be giving your flowers a fresh cut several times. 

In a large vase or jar mix the preservative packet with a small amount of warm water and stir to dissolve – add cold water and fill your prepared vases.

Be sure to strip off any leaves that will be under water and cut the stem at at angle. this allows more surface of the stem to drink up the water and also keeps the stem from resting flat on the bottom of the vase – also allowing it to drink up more water.

When cutting carnations be sure to cut above or well below the nodes on the stem. Cutting right at the node will keep your carnation from being able to drink up water and it will wilt faster.

Spread the wealth. Even though I purchase three bunches of flowers I often will split a single bouquet into 2 or more vases so that I can enjoy the beautiful blooms in more than one room.

Save any spare packets of preservative and give your flowers a fresh cut and fresh water ever 3-4 days and remember to keep your flowers away from heat sources and out of direct sunlight.

Once your flowers have given you all they’ve got be sure to wash the vases thoroughly and add a drop or two of bleach to disinfect the vase. Let air dry.

I would like to say that, if you can, buy your flowers from a florist rather than your local grocery store in order to keep your local businesses going. I know that many flower shops have closed in recent years though – our town had three and now has none. 

If you buy long lasting flowers and take proper care of them you can buy flowers once a month or so and enjoy their beauty without breaking the bank. At least until the flowers outdoors bloom and are ready to bring in.

Do you buy flowers for your home? What other ways do you banish the winter blues?