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Roses are a great way to express so many feelings. Each color rose has a different meaning attached to it. The single red rose is of course traditionally a sign of love. A bouquet of red roses can be sign of respect, congratulations or even to say “job well done”. Yellow roses are a sign of friendship and pink can be sent to say thank you. Even the number of roses sent can be symbolic. Two roses entwined together is a way to say marry me, eleven roses are significant for deep love and thirteen shows the recipient they have a secret admirer.



Once the roses are received it is important that they are cared for properly to last their full life span. Roses can require a significant outputting of money for the sender. So we want the roses to last as long as possible.



Keeping your roses hydrated is truly the secret to a long life. If you cannot get to all the steps of extending your roses life right away it is important that you get them in a clean vase of water right away to keep them from wilting and drying out. The best way to keep your roses hydrated is to clean your vase with hot water to kill any bacteria. Then fill the vase about ¾ of the way to full with lukewarm water. 100 to 110 degrees F is the best temperature for your water. Make it about the same temperature you would your bathwater.



An important step in extending the lifespan of your roses is to trim the stems of the roses. You should always trim your roses under running warm water. This gives the roses an opportunity to start absorbing water right away and keeps air bubbles from forming in the stems. Air bubbles will keep the water from reaching the bud properly. Always trim the stems at a diagonal about one inch from the bottom. You should repeat this step every two to three days. This will give the rose an opportunity to continually absorb the water they need to keep them vibrant and perky.



Flower food is important to extend the life of your cut roses. In most cases commercially bought roses will come with a professional grade flower food. This stuff really works, so be sure to use as directed. If you do not have commercial flower food you can make your own. There are three key ingredients in flower food which work together to help extend the lifespan of your roses. It includes a food source to continue the flower development. There is also an acidifier which will adjust the water’s pH level and a biocide that will kill any harmful bacteria in the water. If you don’t have a commercial flower food, it is possible to make your own. You will need to combine three ingredients. Start with 3 teaspoons of lemon-lime soda. Be sure not to use a diet soda. This will serve as a food source as well as an acidifier. Add 1 teaspoon of bleach. This will kill the bacteria. Mix these two ingredients into one quart of warm water.



To keep bacteria from building up in the water, be sure to remove any foliage that will fall below the water line. Remove any leaves that will be in the water. Foliage soaking in the water will cause bacteria to build up.



Repeat these steps every three days and your roses will last much longer. Keep roses away from direct sunlight, heat sources such as vents and appliances that give off heat. Remove any browned or wilting petals to keep the flowers looking fresh. Also, ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas. This can cause flowers to wilt. So keep your roses away from fruit. Taking care of your roses will give you much more time to enjoy them.