Selecting Cut Flowers

There is nothing that brightens a room quite like fresh flowers. The colors, the freshness and the scent impart a special characteristic to the spaces when they are presented. They are wistful, romantic and remind us of our connection with nature.

There are flower wholesalers and flower markets everywhere, like this, the oldest flower market in Paris, founded by Napoleon.

It pays to be picky when choosing fresh flowers to place in a vase ensure your blossoms last the longest and look great for a longer period of time. When selecting cut flowers, look for green stems that are smooth, unbroken, green and not slimy, in fresh smelling water, and the flower buds should not present drooping buds.

Preparing them for the vase, keep them cool, make a fresh cut up an inch or two while under water, remove the leaves that will sit in the water and use the packet of flower food that came with them. When the bouquet starts to fade, continue to enjoy them by picking out the best of the remaining blossoms the make them into tiny bouquets or singles in small bud vases, float the head in a shallow glass dish or even in a tea cup!