To Moms the World Over: How to Keep Your Cut Roses Healthy for 10+ Days

On the theory that "a financial crisis is a terrible thing to waste," let me offer a tried and true means of making that gift last beyond the few days that it usually takes your roses to wilt and die, thus providing more joy for the same investment.

At night before you turn off the lights, put a stopper in your kitchen sink and add a few inches of water. Take your roses from their vase, and lay them on their sides. The next morning, you can put them back in their vases.

That's it. Even when you see your roses begin to droop in the evenings, the next morning they will awaken reinvigorated.

It works.

Happy Mothers' Day to all, and may your roses now remind you of the feelings behind the gifts for ten days or more.

One must give credit where credit is due: I learned this from my ex-wife who, while a transplanted Swede, was trained in the ways of the border area between England and Scotland where she grew up. The Scots always treat money as if they were in a financial crisis!