Tips for making your Farm bouquets last longer

So, I've come across several good tips that are tried AND true (hard to come by sometimes, eh? :) ). 

I have always had  a problem with cutting my flowers, bringing them in and they just sit and look depressed after several days. Now, I want to share whats worked for me, along with pictures to show you. Simple tips and it works. 

Day 1: 

My first sunflower of the season, they are small but nonetheless super cute! Here she is on day one...

My zinnias- my mom planted these for me and they are all different sizes, the picture below you can see that is a much bigger one. But these little ones are fun to stack together in a terrarium bowl!

This one was a little wilty from the heat, hence the reason I brought her inside... she held up amazingly well though the past week and a half!

Ok, so what I read up on was make sure you give your flowers FRESH water every day... not just "add to the bowl". Literally dump it out and start fresh. That made a big difference I think, otherwise you have yucky slime water that just erodes the flower stem. 

2. Get RID of all browning or slimy leaves or stem parts, I personally think if you leave this just sitting on the flower or sitting in the bowl it opens the door for wilt and stink much quicker than if it wasn't there. 

3. DON'T SET IN FULL SUN! :). Once you pick the flower from its natural root, and take it from that where it can handle the sunshine, flowers aren't as healthy to withstand the suns rays obviously... so Don't set your bouquet or flower(s) in full sun. Find a room semi sunny, and perch the vase on a table top or shelf where its still semi-sunshine in there... but not direct sun. That was a mistake I kept making before.... 

My flowers have now been indoors with fresh water daily, and I also have been keeping the erosion out of the water the best I can. Keep your bowls/vase FULL. You want all the green "parts" immersed in water. Keep them as hydrated as possible... now that you snapped them off their stems outside. 

These are now pics from going into the last part of week 1 1/2: you won't believe it!!

I'm happy :-). 

This pregnant lady is ready for fall and cooler weather, but I am hoping to hang onto my flowers as long as I can. May press and save some, but I enjoy having them on our family table and shelves TOO MUCH! Blessings all.