The biggest complaint of many flower lovers is that their bouquets and floral arrangements just don't seem to last very long. But what many don't know is that there a few things you can do to insure that the flowers you get from the florist enjoy a long and beautiful life.

Buy Flowers In-Season

Flowers grown in the right season tend to last twice as long as those grown out-of-season and under unfavorable conditions. Ask your florist about his/her seasonal varieties.

Buy Locally Grown Flowers

Just like food, flowers begin to lose their potency, fragrance and beauty after traveling long distances. Find out what flowers are grown locally or in your region. These are the flowers that will seem like they were just picked straight from your garden, without the hassle of actually gardening.

Buy Natural Flowers

Natural flowers are beautiful and fragrant just the way nature intended. Hybrids and genetically altered flowers are often less vibrant, less fragrant and have a significantly shorter lifespan.

Buy Flowers Built To Last

There are flowers and arrangements specifically designed by nature and/or your florist that allows them to last a long time for your enjoyment.

Dried flowers, also known as "everlastings" preserve the beauty of the flower, often for as long as a year. Some of the best flowers for everlasting arrangements are:

Roses

Hydrangea

Safari Sunset

Protea

Sunflowers