20 blooms for 20 days

Mr. Woo was kind enough to let me buy two bunches of daffodils (that's 20 stems for $3)! Since flowers are a rare treat in the Woo residence, I'm determined to make these cheery blooms last as long as possible. I present my game plan for this challenge... (feel free to add your tips in the comments!)

First, remove any plastic and rubber bands. I prefer to use scissors for this step - no need to potentially cause any accidents (ie, breakage).

You want to remove any leaves that will be submerged under water. These are the midnight trains to bacteria. Yuck. But in this case, the daffodils have uninterrupted pure stems so no removing necessary.

Then, under running cold water snip the end of the stem at an angle, a nice crisp cut.

Next, place your flowers in a vase. And by vase, I mean whatever clean object that you want to place your beauties in. I like the look of root beer bottles (and/or mason jars) with yellow blooms, a little laid-back country flair. :)

 Add a pretty ribbon to give it some kick, and watch the flowers bloom! Mine started opening up a few hours after happily sitting in water. I did add some warm water to encourage blooming at a faster rate (I like flowers; I lack patience)...

A few other tips:

• Change water often so as to keep it fresh.
• Be careful about storing flowers in the fridge. Ours at home is not set at the same temperature nor humidity. Also, the fruits and veggies emit a gas that will kill them.
• Don't have a potion packet from the florist? Many suggest sugar or dropping in an aspirin.
• Make the most of your money spent and separate your bouquet into smaller arrangements that can be placed all around the home.

Spring is in the air... and now in our kitchen too! :)