When you’re sending a dreamy bouquet—or bringing one home for yourself—you’ll want to consider how best to care for it. Shotwell Flowers can offer you a few pro-level tips to keep your glorious blossoms looking glorious for as long as possible. And you don’t have to be a floral expert to pull them off.

Let’s say you’ve lucked into a design like Song of Gratitude, with its enchanting mix of soft peach roses, delicate hydrangea and intriguing dianthus. How can you keep those petals looking as fresh as the day they came home? Without further ado, a crib sheet:

• It seems obvious, but keep that water fresh! When your flowers make their debut in your home, pull them from the container and snip the bottoms at a 45-degree angle. This will unseal the stem, allowing each flower to take in as much water as possible. Change the water as much as you can every other day or so.
• Use flower food! There are many varieties available, but most use sugar, acid and bleach. This trio helps keep the water’s pH level balanced and bacteria at bay.
• Admire your arrangement from a place that is nowhere near a vent, microwave or other source of heat.
• Invest in floral shears. These are specifically designed to cut stems properly, causing no damage to the them.

Just a few simple actions can keep your bouquet as beautiful as it was on the day it arrived.