Mother's Day Flowers Do's and Don'ts for Dads

According to the National Retail Federation, flowers and greeting cards remain holiday favorites, with more than half of consumers (50.7 percent) polled planning to buy flowers. Making flowers last starts with selecting the best blooms and continues with proper care and handling. Here are a few flower-buying and care and handling tips from the experts at FLOWRMD.com: - DO: Pick Petals like Produce -- Use the same steps used in buying fresh produce to help with selecting the freshest blooms. Flowers should have the same qualities as a fresh head of lettuce: crisp, hydrated leaves and petals. - DO: Clue-in to Color -- Just like fruits and vegetables, flowers should have good, vibrant color. Spots or discoloration can be a sign of disease problems. - DO: Use Your Nose-- Smell the water... it should smell fresh and clean. - DO: Skip the Slime -- Slimy salad ingredients would be skipped, so forego slimy stems on flowers. Stems should be crisp, clean and without breakage. - DO: Cool 'em Off -- Dads and kids may be tempted to hide flowers from Mom until the special day. Avoid hiding places like the car or heated closet. Be sure to store bouquets in a dry, cool place and in water. - DON'T: Ignore Care & Handling -- Give Mom's flowers some extra care to help prolong the enjoyment period. Here are some tips to help get fresh cut flower arrangements off to a good start: - DON'T: Slice with Scissors -- Be sure to re-cut stems by removing one to two inches with a clean, sharp knife or floral clippers while under warm water; immediately place into the vase or container - DON'T: Forget the Food -- Commercial flower food solution is a must. Follow the mixing instructions on the flower food packet. Most packets should be mixed with either a pint or a quart of water. Flower foods should not be diluted with more water than is specified. - DON'T: Leave Leaves -- If the leaves on the stems will fall below the water line in the container/vase, remove. Leaves in water will promote bacterial microbial growth that may limit water uptake by the flower and shorten life For more information, go to: www.FLOWRMD.com Produced for FLOWRMD.com