Even if you’re on a tight budget, there are ways to make flowers more affordable. Here are a few ideas.

Make your purchase count the most. There are several ways this can be accomplished. First, lavish care on your flowers from the moment you buy or cut them. Always use a preservative unless you know that a particular kind of bloom doesn’t need it. These really do prolong the vase life of most flowers so you can enjoy them longer.

Change the water on a regular basis. This also extends the vase life.

In a mixed bouquet or arrangement different kinds of stems will age at varying rates. Discard the spent flowers as they fade and save the remaining ones. This little trick can also add to the useful life of your bouquets.

Be picky about your flowers. This means buying the freshest ones you can find. Farmer’s markets and tailgate markets are great sources. These stems are picked the same day you buy them, which is by no means true for flowers from retail stores. You will enjoy these much longer.

When you buy from supermarket floral departments or full service flower shops, ask which days deliveries are made. By doing your shopping that day, your blooms will be fresher.

If you’re on a really tight budget, buy the kinds of flowers that you know have a long vase life. This will give you more bang for your buck. Buying flowers that dry well is also helpful. With these you can dry the stems and use them as everlastings.

In fact, everlastings are the most affordable blossoms. With this one purchase, you get months of use.

Stretch your fresh flower purchases out. If you normally buy new ones every ten days or so, extend this to two weeks. This approach will enable you to still enjoy fresh flowers on a regular basis.

If outdoor space is available, start a cutting garden. A carefully planted garden can provide you with stems throughout the growing season. You know the flowers are fresh because you’ve picked them. The cost will be much less than what you would normally spend buying flowers.