Growing cutting flowers from seed is easy, and very satisfying. Flowers that can be sown directly in the ground in spring include bachelor’s buttons, calendula, celosia, cosmos, larkspur, sunflowers, sweet peas, and zinnias. Others, including black-eyed Susans, globe amaranth, statice, and strawflower may need to be started indoors.

The vase life of cut flowers types can vary greatly. Everlastings such as statice and strawflower last almost indefinitely, while cosmos bouquets fade in less than a week. With good care, you can keep bouquets of zinnias and sunflowers looking good for 7 to 10 days. 

Here are some tips for keeping your cut flowers looking fresh longer:

1. Cut flowers just as they begin to open.

Flowers will continue to open in the vase, so choosing flowers and buds that are not completely open will add to their vase life. The best time to cut flowers is early in the morning when the plants are well hydrated. Snipping flowers prompts the plant to produce more buds, so don’t hold back!

2. Bring a bucket of lukewarm water with you when you cut flowers.  

Place your stems in a clean bucket filled with lukewarm water as soon as you cut them. When your bucket is full of flowers but not overcrowded, place it in a cool place for a couple of hours to allow the stems to take up as much water as possible. 

3. Strip off low leaves, and angle the stems. 

Any leaves that will be underwater in the vase should be removed to prevent bacterial growth in the water, which can clog stems. Cut the stems at an angle with a very sharp blade as you arrange your flowers.

4. Use a preservative for long-lasting cut flowers.  

Cut flower preservatives generally contain a sugar, an acidifying agent, and an anti-microbial compound. Used at the prescribed concentration they have been shown to add several days to the vase life of some flowers, including sunflowers and zinnias. Other blooms, such as globe amaranth, last just as long in plain water. There are various recipes for DIY preservatives, but their effectiveness does not measure up to the commercial formulas in controlled trials. 

Another way to preserve flower arrangements longer is to refrigerate them overnight, say the experts at proflowers.com.

Easy from seed tabletop beauties: Bachelor’s buttons, Calendula, Celosia, and ‘Double-Click’ Cosmos.

5. Cleanliness counts!

When arranging flowers, use a sparkling clean vase filled with clean room-temperature water. Keep an eye on your arrangement and when the water starts to get cloudy, change it. Re-trim the stems, clean the vase, and refill it with room-temperature water and, if you’re using it, preservative.  

6. Avoid direct sunlight.

Place your arrangement in a cool location, or if that’s not possible, out of direct sunlight.

Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), Larkspur, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and Zinnia.