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Real Flowers That Last a Year? We Review

Each day, I get around 10 to 12 beauty packages filled with makeup, skin, body, and hair products that aren't even on the market yet. A few weeks ago, I received a package that wasn't beauty-related, but I thought it was so genius, I had to share: Contained in a large cardboard box was a silver boat-shaped vase full of two dozen baby pink roses. They were gorg, but the note that read "Do not water" was what really caught my eye. They were from Heinau Flowers, a company that figured out a way to prolong the life of fresh-cut flowers for up to a year! Hard to believe, right? Here's how the process works:

Fresh flowers are cut during their peak, then their sap is replaced with a glycerin-based moisturizer that preserves the flowers, which then absorb moisture from the air to keep their petals soft. The flowers come in varieties including hydrangeas, roses, gardenias, and orchids and range in price from $15 for a single rose to $545 for an elaborate arrangement of 100 roses. My arrangement (like the one shown above) sells for $225—pricey, yes, but if it truly lasts all year, that boils down to just 61 cents per day. The pluses: The arrangement looks pretty up against my living room window and doesn't require watering or sunlight, and clearly it's saved me money. The downfall: Though the company claims the petals are "supple," they are a tad crunchy, and they don't have a scent—something I appreciate about regular flowers. My verdict: Leagues ahead of silk (gross) but not as luscious as the real thing, they make a good gift, since the receiver can enjoy your gesture for a lot longer than a week—Mother's Day anyone?


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