Americans buy more roses, carnations and chrysanthemums than they do all other flowers combined. Taking special care of all cut flowers helps them last much longer. If you are lucky enough to get flowers for Valentine's or other occasions, Stewart offers these tips to help those blossoms last. These same tips also help keep cut flowers from your garden fresh much longer:

"Commercial flower food really will extend the vase life of flowers. You can buy it at craft stores, nurseries and flower shops, or online at floralife.com. If you don't have any, use a pinch of sugar and a few drops of bleach," Stewart said.

She also recommends controlling the temperature. "Keep the flowers in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and away from heater or air conditioning vents, which can dry flowers and cause them to wilt. In dry climates, spritzing the flowers with water may extend their life.

"Change the water, especially if it gets cloudy, and recut the stems every few days. In mixed bouquets, remove flowers when they start to wilt; they may give off ethylene, which could cause other flowers to wilt early, too," she said.

"Before you put flowers in a vase, make sure the vase is clean, and fill it with water. Use sharp scissors or a knife to strip off leaves that will be under the water, then recut the stems and place immediately in water.

"Tulips continue to grow in the vase, and it is natural for the stems to bend and curve. Lilies may drop pollen that can stain clothes; carefully remove the pollen-covered stamens and use sticky tape (never water!) to remove pollen from fabric," she advised.

And one final tip:

"If you want to enjoy flowers for the holiday, order early. Sometimes it is just as hard for those flowers to catch the plane during winter weather as it is for you."

If you go

What: Amy Stewart, author of "Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers"

Where and when: King's English bookstore, 1511 S. 1500 East, Feb. 27, 7 p.m.

Where and when: Spotted Frog Bookstore, 1635 W. Redstone Center Drive, Park City, Feb. 28, 7 p.m.

How much: free

King's English: 484-9100 or kingsenglish.booksense.com

Spotted Frog: 435-575-2665 or www.spottedfrogbooks.com

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Larry Sagers is the horticulture specialist, Utah State University Extension at Thanksgiving Point.