How to Arrange Roses in a Vase

Roses are timeless symbols of love and beauty, shared as gifts of affection for as long as anyone can remember. If you are lucky enough to receive a bouquet of roses for a special occasion, you might be tempted to just throw them in a vase filled with water and call it good. But don't you owe those beautiful blooms a little more TLC than that?

If you're not sure how to arrange your bouquet of fresh cut roses, you're in luck. I created a video on arranging roses just for you, breaking the process down to three basic steps. Follow my advice, and you'll create a beautiful arrangement in no time.

My favorite rose secrets

In addition, I want to share a few tips that I have learned over the years to help you get the maximum vase life from your fresh cut roses.

• Get you roses in water as soon as possible. Hydration is what’s it’s all about.
• Fill a clean vase three-fourths of the way with warm water.
• Add a packet of flower food according to package directions. Flower food contains a biocide to kill bacteria, an acidifier to help stems drink water, and a sugar to nourish the blooms. If you don’t have any commercially prepared flower food, you can make your own recipe at home by adding three teaspoons of lemon-lime soda (non-diet) and one teaspoon of bleach to one quart of water. The soda provides the food source (sugar), and the acidifier and bleach will help prevent bacteria growth.
• Remove all foliage from you flower stems that would fall below the water line before placing your flowers in the vase. This prevents bacteria growth in the water.
• Just before placing your flowers in the prepared vase, give the bottom of each stem a fresh cut on an angle. Cutting the stem on an angle prevents the stem from sitting flush on the bottom of the vase, thus enabling maximum water intake.
• Check the water level in your vase on a daily basis, and add fresh water as needed.
• After three to four days, repeat these steps for optimum vase life.