Here at Neubauer’s Flowers, we love spreading the good word about how to take care of flowers. If it were up to us, they would last forever. Alas, no one can work magic, but we think our floral care tips come pretty close to it. If you pay attention to the care of your flowers, you’ll keep them fresh for as long as possible, maximizing your enjoyment of them and everyone else’s. Read on to find our best advice on how to prolong the life of your blossoms.

1.  Place an ice cube in the pot with your orchid plant. This way, the orchid will be sufficiently watered but not drowned in it. The ice cube will provide a slow and steady infusion of water.

2.  Changing the pH level in your hydrangea plant’s soil can alter its color. That’s right, the color of your hydrangea reflects how acidic or alkaline the soil is, and the color of the flower itself is influenced by that. Which means that in theory, you could adjust the color by changing the pH level—except for white hydrangeas. Those remain white regardless of what’s happening in the soil.

3.  Plants grow and respond better with sounds as opposed to silence. Scientists aren’t sure why, but studies show that talking to your plants can lead to increased growth. So chat them up!