How to make your flowers last longer

The single most important thing you can do is start with a spotlessly clean vase. Bacteria, not age, is what shortens the life of most cut flowers.

Re-cut each stem at a 45-degree angle under running water, strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, and change the water every two days. Keep your arrangement out of direct sun and away from the fruit bowl — ripening fruit releases ethylene, which ages flowers quickly.

Done well, a Rainmeter bouquet should give you a week or more of pleasure. Anything less, and we want to hear about it.