My cousin, David gave my mother some roses a couple of weeks ago. He apologized that they were actually not in the best condition.Some of the leaves were a little brittle, but otherwise, they were gorgeous. Each bud looked so perfect that they almost looked artificial. Mom was instantly captivated, but she wanted me to take care of them. She didn't feel confident about caring for such beautiful blooms.
I put them in water, cut the stems in a slant with a sharp knife and removed the broken leaves. I also added a little bit of flower fertilizer to the water that came with some other flowers we bought a long time ago. A few minutes later, the more withered leaves perked right up. The roses looked as fresh as if we'd just picked them.
Every day or two, I cut the stems and changed the water. After a week, the buds opened up a bit more. Some of the petals had edges that were a little blackened. I just pulled it off, removed all the leaves and added some other foliage. I also cut the stems so they got shorter and shorter. I put the roses on mom's table where she could admire them whenever she watched TV. We were all amazed at how long they lasted.
It seems to me that years ago, roses died within a few days of getting them. I now see that with proper care, they can last over a week.
