So you got yourself some beautiful flowers, and you want them to last as long as possible. Billy Heroman’s Flowers & Gifts is here to help with a few tips that will make extending the life of your beautiful blooms a bit easier.

Our Wild and Free arrangement is a vase of sunflowers and hydrangea in a cool vase—essentially summer in a container. Want to keep them around for a while? Read on.

• Change that water. Every other day or so, empty out the water, clean the container, and snip the ends of your flowers. This will reopen the seal and allow them to take more water in.
• Use flower food, but if not, add a small amount of aspirin and sugar to the water with some vodka or vinegar. This will help keep the pH level balanced and eliminate bacteria.
• Put a penny in the bottom. It will acidify the water. While you’re at it, add a cube of sugar. Sugar is nourishing.

With just a few floral hacks, you can keep those flowers looking fresh and bright for as long as possible. Invest in some floral shears (they cut stems without doing damage) and make sure you place your blossoms in a place where there’s no vent. Keep those temps even and friendly.