Fresh cut flowers brighten up the room, but they are expensive and then they wilt and die. Fresh herbs, on the other hand, are both useful and beautiful.

Storing fresh herbs used to be a challenge for me. They don’t do so great in the fridge. They get slimy. Or I forget I have them and then they get really slimy! And I don’t use them nearly as much as I could.

When I discovered that I could keep them in water like flowers, I was thrilled! When I started doing this I used little jars and things I had around. This year, when my mom brought me some mint, I had an even better idea – a champagne flute! The shape is perfect for mint. The narrow stem and wide mouth accommodates the leaves and the stems, keeping the leaves from getting in the water without having to trim a bunch off.

For chives, I use a stemmed glass with straight sides.

To keep the herbs fresh, I change the water regularly, trim off any parts that are starting to go wilty or brown, and rinse them stems. Oh, and clean the glass, too. It doesn’t take long and they keep much longer.

If you have herbs that are already starting to wilt, putting them water can perk them up. You may need to trim the bottoms off the stems so they can take up water.

For the glasses, I like to use fancy ones that don’t get used often enough for drinking glasses. It gets them out of the china cabinet and out where they can be enjoyed. I have a hard time passing up interesting glasses, and an even harder time finding places to put them. I get most of mine at thrift stores and garage sales.

Whether you grow your own herbs or buy them at the farmer’s market, there are so many things to love about this!

You can put them herbs right on the counter where you do your prep work so they’re handy and you remember to use them.

For me, it’s great when I’m really making a quick salad because I got busy and waited too long to eat. Or if I’m loading up a baked potato to go with a steak for dinner, in the middle of watching a movie!

Plus, they’re pretty, and they smell good.

And the gift opportunities are amazing. The next time you’re thinking of buying cut flowers for someone, consider finding a unique glass at your local thrift store and filling it with your friend’s favorite herb, or an assortment of herbs. Even if you ordered a glass or a set of glasses, it would be cheaper than going to the florist, and much more personal. And it’s something they can use, not just something to sit there and look pretty.

If it’s too difficult to transport, you can put the fresh herbs in a baggie with a damp paper towel wrapped around the stems. If you want to present it all put together, take a bottle of water with you and put it together in the car right before you go to the door.