Receiving a bouquet and immediately caring for it shows the giver that you appreciate the gift, instead of simply putting it aside! The bouquet needs immediate care to set it on the path to a long life. The first twenty-four hours are very important! Immediately stick your bouquet (wrapping and all) into lukewarm water, and let the flowers sit there for about half an hour. This not only gives you time to get the shears, clear a space for cutting and pick out the right vase, but also to chit chat with your newly arrived guests.

After 30 minutes cut about an inch off the stems. Be sure to cut at an angle, as this gives more surface area to absorb water. Choose your cutting tool carefully! Strong shears are recommended, as using scissors that are not sharp enough might crush the stem, which is very unhealthy for the flower. Rip or cut the lower leaves off the plants, as leaves that are compacted underwater will begin to rot and breed bacteria. This will prove harmful to the flowers and will just plain smell bad! Now, be like Goldilocks and fill the vase with water that's not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Flowers, like us, enjoy living in a comfortable temperature and environment. The most important element in this comfortable environment is plenty of fresh water. Water is a life force, and probably the single most important factor in keeping your bouquet alive for as long as possible.

When taking care of cut flowers, equate their situation to that of human beings. For instance, we change our bed sheets as often as possible. Water is the bed of cut flowers, and must be freshened up quite often - every other day is recommended. This will get rid of any bacteria growth that may have begun in the water.