Clever Gardening Technique
Prolonging the Life of Bouquets
For most flowers, lukewarm water is fine but for tulips and daffodils and other bulb flowers, cool water is best, and hold the flower preservative. Daffodils need to be in a vase by themselves, at least for the first day until the substance that exudes from the stems diminishes because it can hasten the decline of other flowers in the same vase. For all flowers, cut the stems at an angle before placing them in water so that any stems touching the bottom of the vase won't have their water uptake blocked. Fill the vase only about 1/3 full, and remove any leaves that extend under water. Every couple of days recut the stems and change the water. Keep flowers in a cool place at night or during the day if you're not around, and keep them away from heat sources.
Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners
As you're pondering what to grow in this year's garden, learn from the experience of other gardeners. Cornell University's Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners Web site shares the ratings that thousands of gardeners have given thousands of vegetable varieties. You can add your two cents, too.