Contain Yourself

Keep Flowers Fresh

Cut flowers in bouquets go downhill fast once the water gets dirty. Keep them looking fresh longer with this floral preservative developed at the University of California at Davis.

Mix 1 part lemon-lime soda (not diet) with 3 parts water. For each quart of the mixture, add 1/4 teaspoon household bleach. Pour the mixture into the container (here, a soufflé dish inside a beach hat).

The sugar feeds the flower buds, the acid improves water flow in the stems, and the bleach reduces growth of fungus.

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