Place the flowers in your container before the stems dry off. In a clean vase mix the floral preservative with room temperature water, in the proportion recommended on the package. Avoid water from a water softener. Floral preservative provides sugars, balances pH, and limits bacterial growth. The use of flower food has been shown to increase the life of fresh flowers by several days.
Individual packets are available wherever cut flowers are sold.
Arrange flowers in a vase and top up with lukewarm to cool water. Check your arrangement daily to make sure it has plenty of clear, fresh water. Remove any damaged or dying foliage or flowers. Check the water supply immediately upon arrival. Do not replace original water.