One of my horticulture professors recommended adding some lemon-lime soda as a flower preservative.

If you are cutting from your garden, cut in the morning and carry a bucket of water to put the flowers in as you cut. It is best to recut under water as you make your arrangements, but that's kind of messy. But I do try to immerse the newly cut stems ASAP.

One thing I know works- change the water every few days. I pour off about half and add fresh.

I've heard of putting asprin in water, too. Also heard to put a tiny bit of bleach in (to prevent mold, I guess). You know what you should do, though? You should go to the grocery store and swipe some packets of the flower fresh stuff they have there. They keep it out in a box by the cut flowers. Buy your groceries at the same time, though, so you're supporting their business and not just helping yourself to the freebies.

We added a small amount of bleach to most of the centerpieces that we brought home from my daughter's wedding reception. Obviously we missed a few because the bleached ones lasted about 10 days longer than the non bleach ones.

I used to work as a florist's helper. The lady that I worked for that had the least ammount of "shrink", or stuff that died without being sold worked with fresh water only, changed every day. She said that floralite, unless mixed properly (and they don't give proper directions on the packet) will encourage bacterial growth, and ditto for sugar and asprin. This is what kills flowers faster. Bleach is dicey, because if you get too much in there, it'll off your fresh flowers faster, too. Depending on your municipalities' tap water, you may already have enough chlorine in there.

I was wondering if you put bleach on your garden flowers will they stay fresh too. I have these bugs that keep coming back and they die if you put bleach on them. So i was wondering if that was safe or not thank you!!

I sure don't want containers of water with even a wee bit of bleach sitting on my tables over my oriental rugs!
But I do like the commercial stuff....Think it makes a huge difference.
Linda C

Lindac, wow what a good point. I'd never thought of the bleach/rug thing. I too have some rugs that if bleachy water dumped on them...I'd feel slightly nauseous. I keep cut flowers all around the house....love, love, love them. It's one of the reasons I garden w/perennials. Thanks for the head-up on what should have been obvious to me!

Maddie, I think bleach "on" the garden would eventually become bleach "in" the garden (in the soil), which would poison your soil.

Take one, or some, of the bugs to your county agricultural extension agent to find out what non-toxic remedy you can use.

Best luck!

Chlorine bleach dissapates...the chlorine goes into the air...
I have been pouring straight bleach on my patio for about 30 years....
Doesn't seem to hurt the plants nor the grass at all....certainly a lot less than what the city puts on the streets and plows into my yard.
But I don't think it will do anything for bugs....unless you close them in a jar with the bleach!....However it sure bleaches out that old concrete.
Linda C