Other tips to keep in mind are:

• If your roses are delivered loose in a box, keep them first in a cool, dark place (but never in freezer) until they can be arranged. When arranging roses, remove first any leaves that will be below the water line of the vase or other container you will be using. Be careful not to scrape the green bark of the stem. Then cut off about one inch under running water from each stem with a very sharp knife. Immediately, place the roses in the water filled container. Never let the cut ends get dry.

• In all cases, the water should be barely warm, slightly higher than your body temperature. Use a floral preservative with the water you add.

• If a rose appears to have a little life, you can revive it by recutting the stem (again in barely warm water) and laying the entire rose in barely warm water in a sink or tub. When your rose revives in an hour or two, you can put it back in the arrangements. Keep roses in cool, dark place at night. (Take them to your bedroom, they'll help you greet the next morning with a colorful awakening.)

Buying Tips

All roses are beautiful, but all roses are not necessarily alike. To be sure you get the very best, take your business to a reliable grower like PCFC. You can be pretty well assured that the roses you buy are of top quality. The main advantage is FRESHNESS which is ensured by a frequent high turnover in stock. Also, we know the proper flower care.

Contrary to the popular belief, blooms that are tight and hard will not necessarily last longer. In fact, they might never open because they've been picked too soon. Check the sepals, which are the little green petals just below the flower head. On the red rose, these should bend away from the bloom, indicating that the rose was mature when picked - not too young, not too old. This may vary in other colors. Make sure rose petals have a velvety texture and rich color that almost looks moist.Stems should be straight and strong so that the rose will "hold its head high" and be able to "drink up" water.