Are you jazzed when you get a bouquet of flowers only to feel a little sad as they fade? While you can't bring cut flowers back to life, you can prolong their freshness...

This year, the average consumer will spend about $100 on Valentine’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation. Topping chocolate, more cut flowers are sold for Valentine’s Day than any other holiday.

Okay, let’s say you receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Now what? We all know those blossoms will eventually shrivel. So let’s try to s-l-o-w the clock down by learning how to keep flowers looking their best.

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If they’re not in water already, start by placing the stems in fresh water. Now, using a sharp knife, make a new stem cut on each flower. Cut at an angle and then immediately return the flower back to the water. By the way, warm water is better than cold. Remove any leaves that will be under water but do not remove thorns from roses. And keep arrangements away from heat sources and out of direct light.

You know those little packets of chemical preservatives the florist gives you? Well, low-tech substitutes work just as well, or better. For example, place a penny and an aspirin in the vase water. Copper in the penny prevents fungus from growing and the aspirin makes the water more acidic. Which means water moves more easily up from the cut stem.

Another trick: Some people swear by Listerine. Mix up a batch of vase water by placing one tablespoon of Listerine per quart of water. Listerine contains sucrose (a flower food) and a bactericide. Having said that, the simplest is by far the best: Just change the vase water every couple days.

Marion's Top Five, No-B.S. Tips for Cut Flowers
(For my "Full Monty" article about preserving fresh cut flowers, click here.)

1) Use plain, lukewarm water for most cut flowers, but use cold water for bulb flowers, such as daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips.

2) Change the water every 2 days -- don't just top it off. This is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your flowers looking fresh.

3) Keep flowers out of direct sunlight, and move them to a cool place at night (I sometimes place them in the fridge).

4) Give daffodils their own vase -- daffodil stems give off a compound that is toxic to other flowers.

5) Keep cut flowers away from fruit, which releases a gas that causes flowers to age faster.