If you were lucky enough to receive a floral arrangement for Christmas, here are some tips to keep it looking it’s best for as long as possible!

First, when you receive it, trim the stems underwater with a sharp knife and place in a vase filled with lukewarm water. Water that is too cold or too hot can shock and/or damage the flowers.

Add the plant food supplied with the arrangement, or if it didn’t come with one, fill the vase with a mixture of one part Sprite (or the lemon-lime soda of your choice) and three parts water. Sprite actually makes great plant food. The sugar is a necessary nutrient for flowers, while the carbonation and citric acid provide an anti-bacterial and low PH environment.

Make sure to change the water and food every 3-5 days, and when placing your flowers in the vase, remove all leaves and flower buds that touch or go under the water. Leaving them will lead to very quick rotting, which will damage the rest of the plant and create nasty looking water and a very foul smell.

If you’ve received a dish garden as a gift, no matter how pretty it looks, if you want it to last you may want to pot each plant separately. That’s because florists tend to group plants by how pretty they look together rather than by their individual needs. Take the time to find out what plants are part of your dish garden and if needed, pot them up separately.

If you received a live wreath or other holiday greenery, use a spray bottle to spritz it every few days. This will keep it from drying out so fast, which in turn cuts down on needles falling, browning, and all around unattractiveness.