I love having fresh flowers in the house. A beautiful arrangement can make a room warmer and somehow, friendlier. That said, flowers can be expensive but I feel it's worth it. Because flowers are expensive you want to try to buy a bouquet that will last. You want to get your money's worth.

Oriental lilies are beautiful and they can last up to two weeks with the right care. In the floral department where I work, a three stem bouquet goes for about ten dollars. Buy ones that haven't opened yet. Cut the stem before you put them in a vase and add flower food, which is usually included. If you change out the water and add new flower food about every two days, they'll last longer. Each time you change the water, cut a tiny bit more off the stems.

Carnations are one of my all-time favorite flowers. These range in price between five dollars for a dozen and seven dollars. Again, with these you can get about two weeks out of them, if you change the water, add new flower food and cut the stems. You want to buy these before they are opened, too. With carnations, you can use your thumbs to open them up a little, when you're arranging, if you're in a hurry to have them opened.

Another long lasting flower is Alstromeria. I love these for the colors they come in. The reds are my favorite. Again, changing out the water will help these last longer. These range in price from about three dollars to six dollars for a six stem bunch. I get two bunches of contrasting colors, when they are running closer to three dollars, and it makes a really beautiful arrangement. Alstromeria is good for filler, too, in an arrangement of roses.

Spray roses, sometimes called Sweetheart roses, are gorgeous. I think they are much more beautiful than a bouquet of regular roses. I always recommend these when a guy is looking for something for his girlfriend but doesn't want to get regular roses. They are more delicate and feminine looking but are actually hardier than regular roses. These are about nine dollars for seven stems. Each stem has many blooms on it and they will last for quite sometime. With a stem of babies' breath, these make a really amazing arrangement. Babies' breath is quite expensive, though. Right now, it's running about two dollars for one stem.

Flowers I wouldn't recommend for longevity are tulips and irises. Both are very temperamental and will just wilt quickly, without warning. These are quite expensive, too. Once in a while, in the Spring when I'm feeling off, I will treat myself to them, though. But they don't last long.

Whatever flowers you choose, it's really important to change the water every few days. This will make most flowers last longer.

Learn more about this author, Kat Apf.
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