Even with all the recent heat, we still have zinnias, geraniums, petunias and marigolds blooming well.

Why not bring some of that beauty inside?

You can find all kinds of containers in the home to hold your garden treasures. Take a look in the cupboard; that mug you just put away may be perfect to hold some pansies. That arrangement would be perfect for your breakfast table.

The closet could produce a Mexican bowl that will complement fresh zinnias. That's a fine way to spruce up the coffee table. Dump the lemonade; a glass pitcher becomes a great container for flowers.

Flowers will last longer in your bouquet or arrangement if you treat them with respect. First, make sure your blooms and foliage are fresh and healthy. Snip your flowers either in the evening or early in the morning, when they're full of moisture. During the heat of the day, they dry out.

Be careful not to harvest blooms that are at full maturity because they won't last long.

Harden off your flowers by immersing them deeply in lukewarm water. This helps the plant get turgid with moisture, and rinses off pieces of dirt and little insects like aphids and spider mites. Be sure to remove all extra leaves and side shoots from the part of the stem that will be under water. This will reduce underwater decay, improve water uptake, and keep everything fresher longer.

To encourage water uptake in stems that are woody, such as blooming shrubs or roses, pound or crush the bottom couple of inches of the stem. If you don't do that, at least cut the bottom of the stems on a steep slant to expose more surface and keep leaves and blooms perky.

Scrape the surface skin off the bottom couple of inches of flower stems like asters, marigolds and snapdragons to encourage more water uptake. It's a good idea to snap or cut off the underdeveloped top buds of flowers like snapdragons, gladiolus or delphiniums to reduce wilting and keep fresh the flowers that already have opened.

If a heavy flower head is bent over, shove a toothpick or a thin piece of wire through the center of the bloom into the stem to keep it upright. A thin wire also will work to support thin or weak stems. The wire can either be inserted inside the stem or spiraled on the outside. If long stems still bend over, make a shorter bouquet.

Be sure to keep your arrangement out of drafts and hot sunshine. If your home has a cool corner, place the display there at night. Heat, sunlight and rapid loss of moisture are the three bugaboos that ruin arrangements. Check water levels in the container every day or so.

When you harvest the flowers, take a water-filled container. Use a sharp knife or scissors and dunk the cut flowers directly into the water after cutting. These steps will add up to many days of enjoyment from these gifts of nature.

Dale Langford is an area lawn and garden specialist.