We know there are several schools of thought about buying flowers to show your love. We know that some of you think they're already half-dead when they make it into your home (nothing says "I love you" more than something half-dead, right?) and some of you think there's nothing more beautiful than a vase of fresh flowers to liven up your living space. This post is designed for both the flower nay-sayers and the petal pushers. Here are a few ways to preserve your flowers:
We know you want to enjoy your flowers for as long as possible before preserving them, so here are a couple tips:
- Cut stems at an angle to give them the best chance to take up water. Cut them about 3/4" every couple days.
- Add a couple tablespoons of white vinegar to the water to give bacteria a harder time to grow.
- Change the water + vinegar every couple days.
When you've enjoyed your fresh flowers for several days, it's time to start thinking about their next incarnation. While you could add them to your compost heap, we have a couple of ideas about preserving them for the long haul. The first is to press them in a book. Be sure to pick a heavy book (a dictionary or, you know, Lord of the Rings). Pick a few blooms from your bouquet that are still healthy looking and blot them with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Place them between a couple pieces of paper inside the book and close. Wait a couple weeks and you'll have beautifully preserved blooms that can be glued to paper and placed in a frame.
Another option for preserving your flowers is to dry them. To dry them, take stems out of vase and place them in small bunches. Tie the ends together with twine and hang them upside down from a hook, a bar, a nail or curtain rod. In a couple weeks, your flowers will be preserved and can be placed back in a vase.
The Co-op will have your flower needs covered this Valentine's Day with bouquets of mixed blooms and single-stem fair trade red roses available in our produce department.
