Rose Bouquet Care: Roses are by far the most popular fresh cut flower sold in the US. The American love affair with roses began in colonial times and has grown through the centuries. Now florist shops sell hundreds of different varieties of hybrid tea roses, mostly imported from South America. Although roses are familiar, the proper care of fresh cut roses is not. Follow these simple steps to prolong the vase life of your cut rose bouquet. Proper care can often double the vase life of rose bouquet. Remember, once the roses are cut they begin to die. The enjoyment you receive from those roses depends on how long you can delay their death. The steps listed above simply maximize the amount of water that reaches the bloom. This delays dehydration and death. Enjoy your fresh rose bouquet!

• Cut the band securing the stems and remove your rose bouquet from the box immediately upon arrival
• Remove all the outer guard petals left on to protect you rose during shipment
• Remove all the leaves that fall below the water line to prevent bacteria build up
• Cut the stems of your rose bouquet 1 inch under running water
• Place rose bouquet in a vase filled 3/4th with luke warm water and packet of floral food
• Keep your red roses away from drafts, direct sunlight and excessive heat or cold.
• Roses are heavy drinkers so add water daily and re-cut the stems every 3 to 4 days