Cutting Flowers in the Garden

Well, now we know what to cut, here's some tips on how. The best time of day to cut flowers is early morning just after the dew has dried, but the sun has not reached its full heat for the day. Second best is early evening when the plants have cooled and recovered from any wilt due to drought or high heat.

Take a large container filled with water that would make a nice warm bath and some sharp scissors or clippers into the garden with you. As you cut, plunge the stems immediately into the water. It is good to put them deep in the water but don't submerge the bloom. Cut the stems as long as you can.

When they are all gathered, take them back to the house and remove all leaves, flowers and buds that will be under water when they are arranged in the container you will use. Next put them in a deep container of flower preservative and leave them for several hours. Again, don't submerge the blossoms.

You can make your own homemade preservative from some cheap lemon-lime soda (it can even be flat, but should not be sugarless) and a little chlorine bleach. If you need specific quantities: use one quart soda, one quart water and one tablespoon bleach.

After the flowers have been in the preservative for several hours, arrange them as you wish, cutting the stems as needed. Finish by using the preservative to fill their container. Remember, to make flowers last the longest, change the liquid and recut the stems daily. Remove or cut off spent blooms and it will be even longer before you must throw them out. You will find that cutting flowers from your own plants adds another dimension to an already enjoyable hobby.

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