1. Prep Your Vase. To make cut roses last as long as possible, two of the most important keys are avoiding bacterial growth and making sure the stems can soak up as much water as possible.

Refresh vase water every day or so, and lift flowers from the vase to re-cut stems every 2 to 3 days. 9.) Once flowers are arranged, place the vase out of direct sunlight.

A rosarian friend from Santa Barbara phoned last month, her voice fraught with worry. "I know you don't like to talk about roses in early April, when we have blooms and you don't," she began, "but ...