all you are doing.. is deadheading.. a bit early ...

cut as many as you want..

and i want to see a link that advises contrary..

ken

Hi ken, it wasn't from a link but a book. I'll scan it tomorrow if I remember. It was specifically talking about peonies. Essentially it said not to cut all of them at once because it was bad for the plant. I'll report back.

Please don't believe everything you read.

Those are double daffodils

You can cut all you want. Doesn't hurt peonies to cut off the blooms.

Now, true lilies need their leaves to produce food for next years bulb so don't cut their stems all the way down to the ground. Make sure you leave as many leaves as you can. Especially if you are going to use a short vase.

If you like cut flowers this much you should invest in a container of floral preservative. I don't know if they sell it at craft stores as I've always bought it wholesale since I am a florist but it works much better than any home remedy like aspirin....which does nothing at all despite everyone's grandmother telling them to use it...Floral preservatives have been extensively tested by universities in Europe where they care far more about flower care and handling than they do in the US. It should always be used according to package directions as far as the water amount to preservative amount.

Make sure you make your cuts with sharp clippers so you don't mash the stems and bleach your vases in between uses too. Scrub them if they get scummy. Change the water if it gets scummy. Remove all leaves below the water line too.

Bacteria clogs the small cells that take up the water. So, if it gets scummy, recut them after you change the water.

Daffodils and Narcissus give off a slimy sap that clogs other flowers. Keep them separate or condition them separately for a couple hours and then add them to other vases without recutting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chrysal on Amazon.com for sale

Buyorsell, thank you so much! Wonderful information. Also thanks for the amazon link. It never occurred to me that the same stuff they give you in packets comes in a large size.
I'm having a hard time finding the article I read but i know I'm not crazy. I expect it was likely more to do with the foliage than the flower. I'll keep looking.
I appreciate everyone's help!

I believe that I have read that when you have a very young peony, it is not good to cut the flowers, probably because you will also remove too much of the foliage, which the young plant needs to grow bigger. However, with a mature plant, or at least one that is a few years old, it should not be an issue.