You just received a colorful bouquet from a sweet admirer, and you want to make the beautiful flowers last for as long as you can. There are a few tips for caring for fresh-cut flowers that will help you to keep that bouquet looking fresh for as long as possible, and they’re actually surprisingly simple.

1. Place them in water quickly. This one may seem like a no brainer, but every second counts when it comes to preserving the life of your fresh-cut flowers. Be sure to place the flowers in a vase as soon as possible.
2. Cut flowers under water. It is fairly common knowledge that cutting the lower portion of the flower’s stem will help it to absorb water, but many experts agree that cutting the stem while it is submerged will help it even more by ensuring that no air enters.
3. Always use a preservative. If your fresh flowers come with a small sachet of powder preservatives, be sure to add the powder to the water before placing the flowers in the vase. Alkaline-heavy water can reduce the lifespan of flowers, but preservatives help neutralize the water.
4. Store flowers in a cool spot. Although you likely want to keep your flowers on display when you are at home, place them in the refrigerator when you leave the house in order to lengthen their lifespan.

Cut-Flower Care—How to Make Your Fresh-Cut Flowers Last [Brooklyn Botanic Garden]
Keeping cut flowers and flowering plants [University of Minnesota]

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For some of the best pizza south of NYC, head to & Pizza, where even former New Yorkers rave about the pies. All of the pizzas here are hand crafted with the utmost care, and use only the freshest ingredients. Here, you can truly craft your perfect pie — choose your dough (wheat, regular or multigrain), select your cheese (includes home made mozzarella and asiago), and then select your toppings.

The pie is made before your eyes, put on a conveyor belt and is set in the oven — all while you watch! Once your pie bakes, you can choose to finish it off with infused olive oil, fresh herbs, and even chopped olives. Best of all, you get all this for around $9! The pies are a nice size — more than enough for one hungry person, or big enough to share.

& Pizza
1118 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 733-1285
andpizza.com
www.yelp.com/biz/h-and-pizza-washington

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