Making your cut lilacs last longer – Cozy Living

Hello friends! Welcome to June! W H A T? Yes you heard (or read) that right, it’s already June and I’m just a little bit stunned by how fast May flew on by!

The first Saturday of the month is starting off with a bang,  if you’ve been hanging out with us here you know that means the Cozy Living gang is back for June with some inspiring ways to make your home cozy, welcoming and hygge! My lovely friend, Jennifer from Town & Country Living is our gracious hostess and we all love sharing our cozy ways with you, I will be sharing their cozy posts with you at the end of my post, so stick around.

If you’d like to get caught up and explore the whole Cozy Living Series, you can visit all of my posts in one spot, here. Or, follow along with this hashtag #CozyLiving on Instagram to see all of the cozy and inspiring ideas!

Now, let’s talk about lilacs

When I was posting my lilac snaps to Instagram the number one thing that everyone said was – “I wish they lasted longer’! I know, right? ME too! Lilacs are so sweet and bring most of us right back to our youth! I remember bringing fistfuls home to my Mom when I was a kid… such special times!

But just like all sweet things in life, gratitude for the simple moments we do get with those darling flowers and the people we love, should be savoured!

Steps to making lilacs last a little longer in your home

I am NOT a gardener, let me start this paragraph by saying that – far from it actually! What I am is a girl kind of obsessed with flowers. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting older or because we moved into a house where someone lovingly planted a lilac bush and we can smell that yummy smell from our porch?  But, I’m at a point in my obsession that I don’t care where it has come from, I’m just happy to have it.

I’ve found tons of posts online on this topic (SO MANY) but I’m going to link one in particular, I really liked this very simple one  -> Enjoy your Fresh Cut Lilacs Longer .

Basically, she said;

• Cutting lilacs from the tree in the morning (as the dew hydrates) is apparently the best time to harvest your pretty flowers.
• Cut them at a 45-degree angle with a sharp knife or garden clippers – using dull tools will pinch and seal the stock and no water will travel to the blooms.
• Choose flowers that aren’t fully opened yet, ones that have firm leaves and strong colours.
• The woody stem doesn’t allow water to get to the flowers quickly once cut, a little fix for this is to smash the last half inch or so of the stem with your pruning clippers – give them a few good whacks – but don’t go crazy (DON’T MURDER THE STEM – ha ha ha), just enough to break it open so that water can get to your pretty flowers.
• Use crushed aspirin (two) in your water… apparently this helps with the bacteria – that also kills these beauties fast and makes your water gross.

This should help your lilacs last twice as long… now for the BIG let down! So, instead of 2 days max your beauties will last a whopping 4 days (if cut)!!!! Whomp whomp! Sorry, no miracles – just a tiny bit more stolen time. But…

There are other ways to keep those beauties “alive”

Four days, that’s not a long time is it? Here are some other ideas I have to keep these guys “alive” – just a bit longer!

Press those stunners! I had a few blooms fall off of a main clipping and forgot them on the counter for a bit… wilted and flat looking when I noticed them I thought hey, I should just press these. So I did… then I placed them in this hinged glass frame. Next year, I have ALL the plans to explore this farther! I told you – obsessed! 😉

These are getting darker and developing some brown spots – but to me they look worn and romantic. 

Sigh…

Photos… Hi my name is, Laurie and I’m a photo hoarder! 

And finally, accessorize! Add accessories with lilac images to your decor. Shameless plug here… you can have your own images of ALL the lilacs put onto pillows and totes, clothing… the sky is the limit!  How fun is that?

Hello cute little pillow

I totes love lilacs

Head to my shop if you’d like to explore more flowered accessories… there are a few things, and by a few, I mean a LOT! 😉 

Vinyet Etc Society6

Thank you for indulging me in yet another obsession! As lilac season ends I have so many peony buds at the verge of bursting open, I can not wait! What a wonderful time of year, don’t you think? 

Now, please go visit the rest of the cozy crew, everything looks so intriguing! xo 

Vinyet Etc. \\ Duke Manor Farm \\ Finding Silver Pennies

 

Making It In the Mountains \\ Sincerely Marie Designs \\ Town and Country Living