“Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you.”

~Richard Brinsley Sheridan

If anything but roses simply will not do for your Valentine’s Day this year, here are a few tips from Ms. Martha Stewart for the care and arranging of these beautiful blooms!

When preparing roses for arranging, cut stems at a 45-degree angle underwater and remove the guard petals if they’re blemished. To get the roses to open more quickly, fill the vase with warm water. To minimize bacterial growth, remove the foliage below the waterline. Don’t forget to add some cut-flower food or a teaspoon of sugar.

To arrange a dozen roses, try placing four each into a dessert cup. For two dozen, a vase is just the trick. For three dozen, make small bundles of three or four roses and ferns using rubber bands. Arrange the flowers in the water-filled bowl and lay in ferns around the perimeter.

All information and images from: http://www.marthastewart.com