If daffodils aren’t blooming in your area, they soon will be. And while the weather may be windy, wet and cold outside, you can bring the sunshine indoors with a fresh cut daffodil bouquet. Here are a few …

simple tips to help your bouquets last longer and stay looking bright.

Picking daffodils right from the garden is actually good for the bulbs. Simply pinch off the flower stem at ground level and leave the long strappy leaves behind. The leaves continue to send nutrients into the bulb which helps it grow larger and produce next year’s blooms.

Freshly picked daffodil stems release a sticky sap, so hold the stems with the flower heads down, or place the blooms upright in a bucket with an inch or so of cool water. Handling daffodils and making contact with the sap can sometimes cause a skin rash. If you have sensitive skin, consider wearing waterproof gloves when gathering flowers.

When purchasing cut daffodils look for them in the ‘pencil’ or ‘goose-neck’ stage when blossoms are still in tight bud, but showing some colour.

If you’re planning to arrange daffodils with other flowers you’ll need to condition them first. Daffodil sap can clog the stems, and shorten the vase life of other flowers – especially tulips.

Trim daffodil stems to their desired vase height, releasing another flow of sticky sap. Soak the cut flowers overnight by themselves using a clean container with about an inch of cool water. The sap usually stops flowing about six hours after cutting the stems. To arrange, remove the daffodils from their conditioning water and rinse the stems before combining them with other flowers. It’s important to avoid re-cutting conditioned daffodils in mixed floral arrangements.

Daffodil cut flowers last longer in shallow water. Place them in a clean vase with cool water and change it every couple of days. Add floral preservative when changing the water to provide nourishment the flowers would’ve received had they not been cut.

Avoid placing bouquets in direct sunlight, keep them away from heating or cooling vents. Ripening fruit releases small amounts of ethylene gas which can age fresh cut flowers prematurely. Move the fruit bowl when finding a spot on the table for your vase.

The vibrant colour and unique form of daffodil cut flowers are an excellent accent to many design styles. Display them in a vase by themselves or combine them with other flowers. They look especially striking in clear glass with their uniform long green stems. But whether they’re showcased in crystal, handmade pottery, or an old canning jar daffodils are very chic.