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We Tried 7 Ways to Make Cut Flowers Last—and There Was a Clear Winner

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Dry, parched flower petals look great in potpourri but not so great sticking out of a vase. From grocery store bundles to fancy florist arrangements, millions of colorful blooms brighten living rooms and moods for far less than the cost of a decorator or a psychopharmacologist.

But when stems droop and buds wither, you may wonder if the indulgence was worth it. We tested common home and florist strategies for lengthening the life of the ever-popular and ever-temperamental tulip to find out what really works.

Testing the Most Popular Flower-Prolonging Techniques

Our seven test bouquets all had the same humble beginnings: On Day One, their stems were cut, and they were immediately placed in identical vases. The vases all contained 36 ounces of fresh, room-temperature water; all but one also had an additive that was supposed to boost longevity. As the week progressed, the water level was kept constant. Here's how they fared.

Aspirin

The Theory: Aspiring increases the acidity of the water, helping it move up the stem.

  • Day 1: One 325-milligram Bayer coated tablet is dropped into the water.

  • Day 4: Drooping and sad, the tulips don't look as if they'll last much longer. Another tablet goes in the water.

  • Day 7: Yikes! More than half the petals have fallen off.

The Verdict: Painful. An aspirin a day may keep the doctor away, but not the florist.

Listerine Antiseptic

The Theory: Kills bacteria the way it kills plaque and halitosis.

  • Day 1: A capful of mouthwash is poured into the water.

  • Day 4: The stems are mostly upright and the tulips are beginning to open.

  • Day 7: This wild bunch seems to be heading in every possible direction.

The Verdict: Not much to smile about.

A Penny

The Theory: The copper can act as a natural antibacterial agent.

  • Day 1: A penny is added to the water.

  • Day 4: The flowers open and look a little droopy, but the dark tangerine color is still strong.

  • Day 7: The stems are heading in every possible direction, but the blooms have opened up in a fairly regular pattern.

The Verdict: The flowers were slow to bloom, bloomed beautifully, then withered quickly.

Bleach

The Theory: Prevents mold, which can kill flowers.

  • Day 1: A capful of bleach is added to the water.

  • Day 4: The stems are almost completely white. But the vibrant tangerine tulips are still erect.

  • Day 7: Still no mold, but the stems are now entirely white, and—like a white T-shirt that has soaked in bleach too long—the petals are yellowing.

The Verdict: It's a wash. The flowers stand tall, but their color doesn't.

Fresh Water

The Theory: Clean water will contain fewer bacteria.

  • Day 1: The ends are snipped by about 1/4 inch, as they will be every day. The vase gets fresh water every day, too.

  • Day 4: The stems are still relatively upright, and the blooms remain healthy.

  • Day 7: A few blooms are ready to be discarded, but with a little rearranging, the bouquet has life in it yet.

The Verdict: Opened beautifully, but the petals dropped like flies after Day 4.

Sugar

The Theory: Sugar duplicates the sugar rush that occurs during photosynthesis. It can, however, promote bacterial growth.

  • Day 1: One teaspoon of sugar is added to the water.

  • Day 4: Except for one limp stem, things look pretty good. One more packet of sugar gets poured into the water.

  • Day 7: The flowers have burst open, and the petals are beginning to curl.

The Verdict: Uneven blooming and splayed stems, but the flowers are mostly intact.

Flower Food

The Theory: Contains a biocide to kill bacteria, an acidifier to help stems drink water, and a sugar to nourish the blooms.

  • Day 1: One tablespoon from a packet is mixed into the water.

  • Day 4: Has sucked up more water than any other bouquet. Opening so beautifully that another tablespoon of the flower food isn't added until Day 5.

  • Day 7: The full bouquet has a soft, dramatic droop and, though fading fast, still gets Best in Show.

The Verdict: The winner of the bunch! Flower food is available at florist shops, or you can make your own.

10 Tips for Longer-Lasting Bouquets

  1. Think of cut flowers like ice cream. Don't buy them unless you're rushing right home.

  2. Use clean vases and tools. Mold speeds up the decaying process in flowers. (Make sure everything is well rinsed, too, since soap changes the pH of the water.)

  3. Remove leaves that will be below the waterline. They promote bacteria growth that hinders circulation.

  4. Don't bother cutting stems underwater. Just have your vase ready. The difference in life span is inconsequential.

  5. Use a small hammer to smash the woody stems of flowers such as hydrangeas and lilacs so they can absorb water more easily.

  6. Flowers from bulbs do better in cold water.

  7. Don't mix daffodils with other flowers. They produce a sap that gums up other stems. (Soak daffodils for a few hours in a separate vase first if you plan to include them.)

  8. Force unopened flowers to bloom in minutes by putting them in very warm tap water.

  9. Wilted flowers, especially roses, can be revived by submerging them in cool water for a few hours.

  10. Flowers will look fresher longer if they're kept off TVs, appliances, and heating or cooling units, which give off heat that wilts them. Also keep them out of direct sunlight and away from hot or cold drafts.

Read more at Real Simple

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Fed holds rates steady as it remains in wait-and-see mode

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Mortgage lenders and prospective borrowers looking for relief from high interest rates will need to wait longer. In a widely expected decision on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve kept rates steady at a range of 4.25% to 4.5% following its two-day meeting.

This move continues a pause that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) began in January. That came after a series of rate cuts in late 2024 — specifically, a 50 basis-point cut in September and a pair of 25-bps cuts in November and December.

Powell’s remarks

As noted recently by many market observers, policymakers are in a difficult position to determine when a rate cut is appropriate. Fed Chair Jerome Powell touched on that conundrum at multiple points during a press conference on Wednesday.

“As we noted in our post-meeting statement, we have judged that the risks to higher unemployment and higher inflation have both risen. … I don’t think we can say which way this will shake out.

“I think there’s a great deal of uncertainty about, for example, where tariff policies are going to settle out, and also when they do settle out, what will be the implications for the economy, for growth and for employment? I think it’s too early to know that. Ultimately, we think our policy rate is in a good place to stay as we await further clarity on tariffs.”

Housing market observers may be watching the labor market for signs of stress, but Powell noted that the unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.2%. And he said that figure is only one data point the Fed is looking at when it assesses policy decisions.

“We’d look at the whole huge array of labor market data to get a sense of whether conditions are really deteriorating or not. And at the same time, we’d be looking at the other side of the mandate (referring to inflation). We could be in a position of having to balance those two things, which is of course a difficult balancing judgement that we’d have to make.”

In March, the FOMC penciled in two rate cuts in 2025. Given the rising uncertainty among consumers and businesses, along with the downside risks to inflation and unemployment, a reporter asked Powell whether the central bank should cut rates at all this year.

“We are going to need to see how this evolves. There are cases in which it would be appropriate for us to cut rates this year. There are cases in which it wouldn’t. And we just don’t know. … I couldn’t confidently say that I know what the appropriate path will be,” Powell said.

Reports are emerging that fewer container ships — and fewer imported goods — are arriving at major U.S. ports in the wake of massive tariffs against China. Officials at the Port of Los Angeles, for example, told CNN that cargo volume is down about 50% year over year, meaning that shortages of goods and higher prices are expected to hit store shelves in a matter of weeks.

Powell was asked for a response about how the tariffs could impact small businesses and whether that would be enough to prompt a rate cut.

“We really don’t see in the data yet big economic effects. We see sentiment,” he said. “There are concerns that higher prices may be coming or things like that. So people, they’re worried now about inflation. They’re worried about a shock from the tariffs. But that shock hasn’t hit yet.”

Conflicting signals

Economists note that, due to the economic uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s global tariff policies and fears of rising inflation, Fed policymakers have opted to take a wait-and-see approach.

“With inflation persistently running above the FOMC’s target and the labor market displaying resilience, the committee appears under little pressure to act, choosing instead to ‘wait for greater clarity’ on the impact of recently announced tariffs before easing monetary conditions,” Sam Williamson, senior economist at First American, said in a statement.

“However, the Fed increasingly finds itself facing a challenge as it grapples with inflationary risks of tariffs and a softening labor market spurring fears of a recession,” he added.

Despite these concerns, the Fed’s decision reflects a labor market that remains robust. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) reported that non-farm payrolls added 177,000 new jobs in April, exceeding economists’ estimates of 130,000.

HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami wrote that the “latest jobs report represents a baseline that may not fully capture the effects of recent events, and as time progresses without a resolution, there is a potential for increased labor market pressures, especially considering federal government job reductions and the impact of budget cuts on economic circulation.”

In the meantime, inflation data revealed year-over-year price increases of 2.4% in March, a decline from 2.8% in February and below projections. Nonetheless, this figure still surpasses the Fed’s inflation target of 2%.

According to Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage, Fed officials are in a “tricky position” as the full impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs have only started to materialize, leaving inflation rates in a state of uncertainty.

“May will be a very telling month,” as further data will shed light on the broader impacts of the administration’s policies, Cohn said. This could pave the way for a potential rate cut in June or later.

“Until the Fed is comfortable that the rate of inflation is not going to skyrocket, they’re not going to be in a position to be able to cut rates,” Cohn added.

Borrowing opportunities?

Market participants largely anticipated the Fed’s decision on Wednesday. The CME Group‘s FedWatch tool showed that roughly 98% of interest rate traders predicted rates would remain unchanged.

HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday showed that the 30-year fixed-rate conforming loan averaged 6.89%, a decrease of 6 bps from a week ago. The 15-year conforming fixed rate averaged 6.71%, down 11 bps during the week. But only weeks earlier, mortgage rates were 20 to 30 bps lower.

“This increase is due to investor uncertainty over the impact of tariffs, which has boosted yields on the 10-year U.S. Treasury Note, a benchmark that mortgage rates loosely follow,” Williamson said.

“With the Fed poised to resume rate cuts in the latter half of the year, mortgage rates are projected to ease from today’s levels, offering additional relief to prospective home buyers.”

Analysts at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods estimate that approximately 3% of mortgage holders are now in the money to refinance, assuming that a 50-bps incentive is needed for a consumer to refinance. But if rates decline by 100 bps or 200 bps, these shares would increase to 15.7% and 26.6%, respectively.

Geno Paluso, CEO at mortgage servicing technology firm Sagent, said that the Fed’s dual mandate involves a tough balance between controlling inflation with higher rates and supporting the job market with lower rates.

“The White House will keep rate cut pressure on the Fed to preempt recession, while the Fed tries to hold rates steady for trade war inflation signals,” Paluso said.

In the housing market, Paluso explained that while a recession would help stable homeowners refi their loans through lower rates, it would also cause hardships for homeowners who could sustain job or income losses. Likewise, a tariff-driven inflation spike may also cause homeowner hardships, he added.

Read more at Housingwire

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Mortgage Applications Jump as Rates Ease for a Second Week in a Row

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Mortgage loan applications increased 11% from a week earlier—representing both home purchases and refinancing.

The refinance index also increased 11% from the prior week and was 51% higher than the same week one year ago, according the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.

"An increase in mortgage applications is somewhat surprising but altogether positive news," says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst for Realtor.com®. "Mortgage rates have drifted lower over the last few weeks, and eager buyers are taking advantage. With more affordable inventory on the market, some buyers are making their move this spring. Mortgage applications were up an impressive 51% from the same week one year ago as mortgage rates registered almost a half-percentage point lower. This result is surprising given rising concerns over personal financial situations, but points to pent-up buyer demand due to widespread unaffordability."

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.84% from 6.89%.

Federal Housing Administration loans, or FHA loans, fell to 6.56% from 6.61% for the average contract interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage. With points, it increased to 0.87 from 0.86 for 80% LTV loans (loan-to-value loans).

LTV loans compares the amount a person is financing with the appraised value of the property.

The average contract interest rate for a 15-year fixed mortgage remains the same as the week prior at 6.17%. With points, it decreased from 0.65 to 0.76 for 80% of LTV loans.

Loans with a 5/1 ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) increased to 5.97% from 5.89%.

"More buyers took the opportunity to refinance last week as rates continued to ease. Mortgage rates are higher than a month ago but are roughly a half-point lower than one year ago, driving buyers who bought in at a higher rate to refinance," Jones says. "Mortgage rates have been above 6.5% for most of the last two years. Last spring's buyers saw rates near or above 7%, which means many may see some advantage from refinancing this year."

The new numbers are for the week ending May 2, 2025. The MBA survey focuses on U.S. closed-end residential mortgage applications through retail and consumer direct channels.

Mortgage rates dip

The mortgage application numbers for this week come on the heels of mortage interest rates dipping for the second straight week ending May 1. The average rate on a 30-year fixed home loan is 6.76%, down from the prior week of 6.81%, according Freddie Mac.

For perspective, rates averaged 7.22% the same week in 2024.

The latest decline in the Freddie Mac rate is a positive sign, but Realtor.com® senior economist Jake Krimmel says it’s too early to celebrate.

Housing market activity saw new listings increasing in April compared to a year ago, but homes are sitting on the market longer.

Mortgage rates calculated

Mortgage rates are calculated by various factors in the economy and the length of your loan will also figure into which mortgage rate you qualify for. The 30-year mortgage rate is benchmarked to the rate of the 10-year Treasury note, according to Fannie Mae. As the rate on the 10-year Treasury note moves, mortgage rates follow.

The rate on the 10-year Treasury note is determined by expectations for shorter-term interest rates in the economy over the duration of a bond, plus a term premium.

Read more at Realtor.com

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Stocks May Be Volatile, but Home Values Aren’t

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With all the uncertainty in the economy, the stock market has been bouncing around more than usual. And if you’ve been watching your 401(k) or investments lately, chances are you’ve felt that pit in your stomach. One day it’s up. The next day, it’s not. And that may make you feel a little worried about your finances.

But here’s the thing you need to remember if you’re a homeowner. According to Investopedia:

“Traditionally, stocks have been far more volatile than real estate. That’s not to say that real estate prices aren’t ever volatile—the years around the 2007 to 2008 financial crisis are just one memorable example—but stocks are more prone to large value swings.”

While your stocks or 401(k) might see a lot of highs and lows, home values are much less volatile.

A Drop in the Stock Market Doesn’t Mean a Crash in Home Prices

Take a look at the graph below. It shows what happened to home prices (the blue bars) during past stock market swings (the orange bars):

Even when the stock market falls more substantially, home prices don’t always come down with it.

Big home price drops like 2008 are the exception, not the rule. But everyone remembers that one. That stock market crash was caused by loose lending practices, subprime mortgages, and an oversupply of homes – a scenario that doesn’t exist today. That’s what made it so different.

In many cases before and after that time, home values actually went up while the stock market went down, showing that real estate is generally much more stable.

This graph shows how stock prices go up and down (the orange line), sometimes by more than 30% in a year. In contrast, home prices (the blue line) change more slowly (see graph below):

Basically, stock values jump around a lot more than home prices do. You can be way up one day and way down the next. Real estate, on the other hand, isn’t usually something that experiences such dramatic swings.

That’s why real estate can feel more stable and less risky than the stock market.

So, if you’re worried after the recent ups and downs in your stock portfolio, rest assured, your home isn’t likely to experience the same volatility.

And that’s why homeownership is generally viewed as a preferred long-term investment. Even if things feel uncertain right now, homeowners win in the long run.

Bottom Line

A lot of people are feeling nervous about their finances right now. But there’s one reason for you to feel more secure – your investment in something that’s stood the test of time: real estate.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

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Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from April 2025

 
 

If you've lived in Colorado for a while, you know spring has a hard time making up its mind - sunshine one day, snow the next. This April, the Denver Metro real estate market mirrored that same unpredictability, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trend Committee.

One week felt hot with buyer activity and quick sales, and the next brought a chill with hesitation driven by fluctuating mortgage rates and uncertainty in the broader economy. Consumer sentiment was cautious - buyers and sellers alike were willing to engage, provided the numbers made sense. While economic uncertainty lingered, the market operated with cautious momentum, driven more by life changes than speculation or urgency.
With seller activity so far in 2025, one thing was predictable: increased inventory. New listings were up 10.78 percent month-over-month and up 18.13 percent year-over-year. We typically see inventory increase in the spring months.

However, this month-over-month increase is slightly larger than the average of 8.37 percent.
Buyer activity usually remains strong during the spring months, and a month-over-month decrease in pending units, although just 2.27 percent, may reflect an early peak in the spring market.

This slowdown in buyer activity and an influx of new listings resulted in a 26.58 percent increase in active listings at month's end for detached homes and an increase of 15.50 percent for attached homes. Comparing this to April 2024, this is an increase of 66.22 percent for detached homes and 81.42 percent for attached homes. With the rise in invento-ry, properties are predictably on the market longer; the median days in the MLS were 13, down 23.53 percent month-over-month, but up 62.50 percent year-over-year.

Despite the increase in inventory, the median sale price increased month-over-month. The median sale price for detached homes was $665,000, a 0.76 percent increase, and the median for attached homes was $389,900, a 0.55 percent increase. Comparing year-over-year, attached properties showed a decrease of 6.05 percent in median sale price.

Year-to-date, we see a slight year-over-year slowdown of 1.82 percent in the number of closed properties. Compared to the year-to-date data of a high-activity year such as 2021, the number of closed properties is down 29.20 percent.

With inventory rising and buyers becoming increasingly selective, it is important for sellers to understand they are in a competitive environment. Every listing now needs to earn buyer attention. Set realistic expectations and help your clients understand how condition, staging, and strategic pricing impact a buyer's perspective.
Buyers in this market are experiencing a lot with interest rates, talks of a recession and uneasy consumer confidence. We can ease these concerns by helping our clients stay grounded in their personal goals and focus on local realities - and financial positions. Focusing on longer-term needs can help ease the uncertainty of the day-to-day.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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