Much has been written about the power of flowers, and it is certainly true that even a small bouquet seems almost to magically brighten a room.  Every space should have something living in it, but maybe you don't have a green thumb and feel daunted by the long-term commitment of a plant.  No problem!  Fresh-cut flowers are another avenue, and can last up to two weeks when you follow just a few simple tips.

 A small vase of flowers on the kitchen counter or coffee table instantly makes a place feel more homey, or a guest room more welcoming. 

So how do you keep your home filled with fresh flowers without breaking the bank?  After all, aren't flowers--especially roses--expensive?  While it's true that dozens of roses and large bouquets of beautiful blooms are pricey, inexpensive grocery store bouquets use these types of flowers in small numbers, and use "filler" flowers in greater numbers, keeping their cost down.  These types of bouquets are made up of about 20 percent high-quality blooms like roses, lilies and irises; 50 percent is comprised of more common flowers like mums, carnations, alstroemeria and asters; and 30 percent is filler stems like Queen Anne's lace, baby's breath, and greenery.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a mixed bouquet; they can be quite pretty, especially when casually displayed in a mason jar or simple vase, as if freshly-picked from a field.  After enjoying it for a few days, though, try these simple steps for refreshing the bouquet by turning it into several smaller ones.

• Pull out any stems that are clearly dead but save everything else.
• Remove any rotting leaves that have lain below the water line.
• Ditch the run-of-the-mill florist's vase in favor of three different, smaller, and more interesting vessels you likely have around the house.
• Group like blooms together for maximum impact.  For instance, if there are 4 or 5 roses, put them together in the smallest of the vases. 
• Trim the stems quite short so that the roses form a tight mound in the small vase.  Make sure to cut the stems on an angle, which creates maximum surface area for water intake.  Remove all leaves that would sit below the water line, and of course, fill the vase with fresh, clean water.
• Repeat the above steps for the remainder of the flowers, but try grouping these by color.  
• Finally, if you have flowers or plants growing outside, use them to create a new look using the filler flowers and greenery to supplement them.  Even just simple hosta leaves can look like an intentional green and white bouquet when grouped with filler stems.

Placing your newly created bouquets in different spots around your home stretches the reach of that one bouquet even more.  Try putting one on the bathroom sink, a nightstand, in a bookcase, on the foyer console table, or the coffee table.  Consider the colors of each of the new bouquets when deciding in which room they'd look best.  Now you can enjoy your initial investment for a little longer all throughout your home.