How to keep your fresh cut flowers fresh for a longer time.

The flowers of the syringa spp.shrubs and small trees are prized for their attractive, fragrant flowers that appear in white, pink or purplish clusters in the spring.You can fill a house with the scent of cut lilac flowers.Maintaining an appropriate environment around the flowers and caring for the stems can prolong the life of a bouquet.

If possible, remove the flowers from the plant in the morning or late evening.Use a clean knife to cut at least a few inches longer than the final stem length you want and just above a leaf, bud or branch junction.

Consider cutting the stems for the tallest vase first, then recutting them a few days later for a shorter vase when you change the water in the vase.

Warm tap or distilled water and a floral preservative can be added to a vase or container.

If you want to cut the part of the stem that is submerged in water, you have to put it in a pail or bucket of water.The plant will absorb more water if the branch is cut 1 to 4 inches deep.

If possible, place the flowers in a cool, draft-free position.It is possible to prolong flower life by storing them in the refrigerator between 40 and 50 degrees.

The water in the vase should be replaced if it appears cloudy.Remove 1/2 inch of stem from each flower stem when you replace the water.