ULalum06

Some people give stargazer lillies because certain people hate the smell...literally gagging on it. i don't mind though, can't really smell a difference. but overall, hmm...someone i hated would probably get carnations. they say, "hey, i'm thinking about you...but in a cheap, moldy, 1950's way."

there's a few places in the middle east where i think women are sold. not sure the going rate though

keeping flowers alive is one many highly debated topics.

there are a few things you need to understand before talking about this:

when you, the customer, get the flower it can be anywhere from 2-4 weeks dead. once they are cut, shipped, cut again at the wholesale, shipped to the retailer, cut at the retailer and shipped to you the stem has undergone major shit. the stem is as a scab is on your body. once that stem gets out of water it closes up. all those lil channels that carry the food and water close up you will see death in the flower soon.

cutting at an angle is bullshit in my opinion. the thought behind that was that you open more channels, however; cutting with a SHARP knife is the best tool. current thinking is moving away from cutting under water to just cutting in the open air.

the supplied flower food is best for your flowers because it contains key ingredients that will prolong the life of the flowers. the BEST way to keep your flowers longer is to keep them as cold as possible. ice water, fresh water, and anytime you take the stems out of the water you need to re-cut them.

I've always been partial to alstros. they last forever and have nice foliage. but anything that has more of a scent and less of a bloom. i.e. heather, baronia heather, rosemary, lavender. since there isn't a flower (except for altros) these can last a long time.

talked to a guy who had his PhD in horticulture...amazing how things are so unsettled!