Question
Is is possible to cut lilacs for an indoor bouquet?  

I have tried in the past, and it seems by the next day those beautifully fragrant flowers are all "drooping" on there stems!

Can you please advise.  Thank you.  

Answer
Hi, Irene.  Lilacs are tough because of their woody stems.  If you're going to keep them in a vase, you need to "bang" them.  Cut lilacs from the tree, preferably before they are in full bloom.  They will open once cut if you cut them when they are still tight.  

Once inside, cut the stems to the length you'd like.  Lie each stem out on a work table, and take a hammer and bang the bottom few inches of the stems.  You don't want to smash them to a pulp, but you want to tap them enough so that you break the bottom couple inches of the stems open a bit, so that they're just slightly softened and frayed.  This will allow them to soak up the water they need for a longer life.

Of course, adding a flower preservative helps greatly, too.  If you don't have any preservative, adding a tad of Sprite or a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar will help.