Q&A for How to Keep Roses Fresh

Ask that the roses be left somewhere shaded, like your porch. If there isn't a dark spot to leave them, ask a neighbor if they can pick up the bouquet for you and hold onto it until you get home. You just don't want the roses to be sitting out in the sun.

Make sure the florist you go through purchases new flowers several times a week so you know they're fresh. The florist should also keep everything fresh cut every single day, and they should have a refrigerated delivery truck.

If it's an all-rose centerpiece, I personally like to mix different size roses in the same color because you get a really nice textural look. I also make sure all of my roses are open to the same extent.

If you notice that one or two roses are starting to weep a little bit, you can try to re-cut them, and you can actually cut their stems under flowing water so that no air gets pulled into the stem itself. It's also imperative to use fresh water and a fresh vase. Make sure to wash out the vase with soap and water and let it dry before adding the roses.

I would not recommend putting hairspray in the vase. This could pollute the water and lead to bacteria build up.

Heat will damage the roses and dry them out quicker.

Yes, as long as you change the water frequently. Maybe even add the tiniest bit of sugar in the water as well.

Yes! Always try to put them next to the window and not near furniture or fruit.

Yes. Dip the lower portion of the cutting into a rooting hormone powder. Then use a pencil or metal probe and push down into the planting site soil to make a hole that is deep enough to plant the cutting in (up to about 50 percent of its overall length).

Do not add bleach to roses unless you want to kill them.

No, sadly. Once a rose is dying or dead, there's no way to reverse the process.

If you have no flower food, the tiniest amount of sugar can help out a bit. It's not the best solution, though.

Yes, you can! You can put them in the fridge at night to keep them fresh and put them in a cool room during the day. Heat will make them dry out faster.

Direct sunlight is not recommended, and temperatures in the sun may get very hot. It is better to put your rose in an air-conditioned room out of direct sunlight.

It depends on the type of rose, purity of the water, and how old they are, but usually about 1 1/2 weeks - 2 weeks.

Clean the vase thoroughly and change out the water and flower food every two to three days. Avoid direct sunlight, heat, drafts and fruit. Your flowers will last longer in a room with cool temperatures. Avoid displaying them in direct sunlight or near appliances that generate heat. However, two weeks is a very long time and they might not make the distance.

Roses love cold water, and it will cause them to last longer. Higher temperatures cause flowers to breathe and release moisture more quickly, resulting in wilting.

If you're cutting roses from your own rosebush to keep, cut them really early in the morning before it gets hot out. Cutting them while it is still cool will keep them from wilting. Immediately after cutting, put them in cold water. They will be good to travel then.