11:34 AM PST on Thursday, December 22, 2005

If you accidentally knock some flowers off of your holiday poinsettia, don't be discouraged, there is something you can do. Take a lighter and singe the end of the stem for at least 15 seconds. This will seal the moisture in the flower and stem. If you do this, the flower will stay fresh for up to seven days.

For an interesting look, put the flower in a glass filled with cranberries. You've got to add water to keep the moisture up, particularly for the cranberries.

There are only a few plants that you can seal like this. Hellebores and poppies are two others.