Whether he cuts them from his garden or picks them at the farmers market, floral designer Conner Nesbit of Leuca Floral waits all year for fresh-cut dahlias. It’s no wonder he’s diligent about extending their lives in the vase. His three small tricks make a big difference.
1 Cut blooms in the cool morning or after sunset. Flowers dehydrate in the heat of the day and have difficulty recuperating when cut mid-day.
2 Place the end of each horizontally-cut stem (2-3 inches) in boiling water for several seconds. Don’t let steam hit the blooms. Immediately move them to a container of cool water.
3 To help prevent bacteria that shortens a cut flower’s life, choose a clean vase, strip the stem of leaves that are below the arrangement’s water level and change water every other day. Leuca Floral, Logan, 435-757-8059, @connernesbit
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See more inside the Summer 2017 issue.