Cut Flowers on the Cheap

I have been so pleased with the bouquet of Gerber daisies I purchased last weekend. They're a beautiful fresh peachy-pink, and the stems are at least twelve inches long, even after trimming, and came individually inserted into clear plastic tubes for support, which I left on (they don't show). They look both festive and sophisticated in a plain glass cylinder on the dining table. Seven days after coming home with me they are still fresh and charming.

I generally check out the flowers when I'm grocery shopping and pick something up if a) there's nothing in bloom in the yard, and b) I don't have have to spend too much. I've narrowed down the selections to things I know will hold up well and stay looking good for at least a week:

•Gerber daisies!
•alstromeria-lots of colors to choose from
•Stargazer lilies
•mums

Sadly, I've given up on expecting these flowers to open fully, stay fresh, and generally give me my money's worth:

•full-size roses
•miniature roses
•Dutch irises
•sunflowers

I have also learned to shop for flowers on the days the new deliveries come in--Tuesdays and Saturdays. Lots of times the florist will throw in an older bunch free of charge, if I ask for "anything she's getting rid of." She's such a nice lady; she always makes a balloon for Bella even when we don't buy anything.