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Show ABOUT YOUR HOME I . By Francis Dell i It's very important to know the time and method of cutting summer flowers, to get the full beauty of the cut blooms. Practically Prac-tically all flowers should be cut in early morning while wet with dew. At this time the petals and .stems are filled with moisture thus the flowers are at their maximum max-imum freshness. The- length of time flowers keep their freshness depends largely on keeping their water-absorbing water-absorbing capacity at its height. ;When this capacity declines, the flower wilts. There are a number num-ber of tricks that will help in this respect. Cut flower stems tend to heal over and close the moisture tubes, so it's a" good idea to shorten the stems a half inch every day. This doesn't apply to flowers like poinsettias and oriental poppies, pop-pies, whose stems should be seared or boiled for two minutes to keep in the juices. Strip the leaves from the part of the stem that's to be submerged for flowers flow-ers like dahlias, zinnias, and marigolds. mar-igolds. Crush the stems of shrys-anthemums shrys-anthemums and break off the thorns on the lower part of rose stems to increase water absqrp-. tion. The life of cut flowers can also be prolonged by changing the water and washing the vase each day, thus keeping down the growth of bacteria. When it's necessary to keep flowers out of water for some time after cutting1, cut-ting1, it is best to shorten the stems at once and place them in cold water up to their blooms for an hour or two. Never crowd the stems into a vase when arranging your flowers, flow-ers, and don't place your bouquet near a heat outlet, or an oil or gas heater since the fumes will put the flowers to sleep. Place your cut flowers in a cool, damp place during the night. A warm, dry room robs blooms and foliage of valuable mosture content. |