A fresh and vibrant bouquet of cut blooms is the best way to brighten up your space and a thoughtful gift that can boost someone’s mood.

When choosing flowers for an arrangement, we naturally consider aspects like the flower’s variety and color to find something that perfectly suits the occasion. However, we often do not take one thing into account, that is, the bloom’s vase life after it has been cut.

Bring the splendor of your garden indoors. From chrysanthemums to zinnias, here’s a list of pretty flowers that will not wilt easily in your vase— if you use floral preservatives, keep the water fresh, and follow some simple instructions.

Gladiolus ( 13 to 15 days)

If you want long-lasting arrangements, you should consider cutting tall, charming gladiolus when the buds are half open—and not more. Then immerse the flowers’ stems in lukewarm water and place them in a dark and cool location for a couple of hours. Next, move your flowers into a vase with water containing floral preservatives. If you want your blooms to last the longest, make sure the water is free of fluoride—gladioli are reactive to this chemical.

Chrysanthemums (2 to 4 weeks)

Chrysanthemums are often praised for their outstanding vase life. These vibrant flowers can last for three weeks (sometimes, even longer!) in the vase. Chrysanthemums are available in a variety of shapes and colors. From bold purple to creamy white, these blooms grow in a variety of hues.

Some of the popular varieties include spider blooms, single chrysanthemums, pompoms, decorative, and anemones. A plethora of choices make these flowers a versatile and sought-after bloom for bouquet arrangements. Chrysanthemums can add a charming texture to any flower arrangement. In mixed bouquets, they often outlive other blooms.

Dahlias (3 to 7 days)

When talking about long-lasting cut flowers, dahlias are extraordinarily long-lasting. The buds of this flower do not open after they are cut—so you must wait for them to fully open before you snip them. After bringing them home, re-cut the stems, and immerse the blooms in two inches of lukewarm water for almost an hour. Next, take the flowers out, cut any leaves below the water line, and place them in a vase with cool and fresh water.

Hydrangea (7 to 10 days)

The word ‘hydrangea’ refers to ‘water vessel’—and the name is very fitting—we will tell you why.  Hydrangeas absorb a lot of water; therefore, you will need to change the water in the vase regularly or so. If you follow this simple instruction, your cut hydrangeas can live for almost ten days.

However, hydrangeas can last way longer if you allow the blooms to dry out. To achieve this simple step, you have to place the flowers in a vase and add just a few inches of water. Then, leave the flowers alone. The water in the vase will eventually evaporate, and in a few weeks, the flowers will dry.

Avoid moving dried hydrangeas because they become very fragile after drying—and the petals might break and fall apart. Drying hydrangeas may not yield excellent results always—but it is worth trying because if you succeed, the dried blooms might last even a year.

Sunflowers (7 to 12 days)

Sunflowers, these iconic blooms with their vibrant yellow petals capture the delight of warm summer days. These joyful flowers live longer if you retrim their stems after cutting, and make sure you are changing the water every 2 or 3 days. With utmost care, sunflowers can keep looking vibrant and fresh for almost 12 days in your vase.

Cherry Zinnias (7 to 10 days)

If you are wondering which flower to incorporate in an arrangement, look no further than the classic Zinnia. These flowers will last for almost a week if you immerse the stems in a vessel with cold water, soon after snipping them from the garden or getting them from the store. Next, re-cut the stems underwater, maintaining a 45-degree angle, and then place the blooms in a vase with fresh water and add some floral preservatives.

If you tend to cut flowers the desired way, you can make them last at least a week in all its glory. However, if you place them in a vase and forget, they will wilt soon.