Valentine's Day Flower Tips

Carolyne Roehm

Many of us will be getting roses for Valentine's Day whether as gifts from others or to ourselves. Most will come in those generic glass florist's vases or no vase. Do yourself a favor and put them in one of your blue and white Chinese vases or ginger jars. Such a beautiful combination. And carnations as shown above in this beautiful vignette by Carolyne Roehm are a gorgeous and very chic again alternative to roses.

More pretty inspiration - 

Williams  Sonoma

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Some tips to get your roses to open/not droop/last. 

As soon as I get home I submerge the roses in a huge vase of warm water up to their necks for 30 minutes. Did you know that roses like warm, not cold water? About 70 degrees is perfect. 

While the roses are soaking, ready your display vase - a different one with warm water and floral preserver. Take one stem at a time and cut the stem to the desired length under warm running water at an angle and try to transfer to the display vase with water still clinging to the freshly cut stem end to avoid air bubbles in the stem. Florists do not have magical sources for their roses. The key is to prevent air bubbles from preventing them taking up water.

And ask what day(s) your grocery store gets their flower shipments. Mine gets a huge shipment on Thursday so I know I am getting the flowers as fresh as possible. You don't want flowers that have been sitting in the grocery store for days.

Here is one of my special Valentine's Harper - 

Harper

And the new baby - 

Beatrice

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