People always ask me what tricks of the trade there are that help make flowers last longer in the home and I always feel a little silly when I reply, as it all seems to simple! The truth is, cut flowers are a very simple thing really and keeping them looking their best is not down to rocket science but more regular housekeeping. If you follow these four easy steps, your flowers should stay happy and looking beautiful for longer.
1. Prepare your vase. This seems like such a small thing but it's the littlest things that are the most crucial! Make sure your vase is sparkling clean and is full to about three quarters with cold, fresh water. If you have some cut flower food sachets, feel free to put one in at this stage. If not, a little drop of lemonade can do the trick too...after all, its just sugar!
2. Remove all leaves that fall below the water line when the flowers are placed in the vase. These leaves create bacteria in the water and can cut the life span of your flowers quite dramatically so make sure your stems are all clean and tidy before you place them in the vase.
3. Cut the bottoms of the stems on a sharp angle (the sharper the better). This increases the surface area of the stem and allows more water to get up. You will need some sharp scissors to do this. Now place the flowers in the vase and position your vase in a cool spot...make sure it is not next to a radiator or oven!
4. Repeat these steps every few days-- so change the water, give the stems a fresh snip and pull off anymore leaves that may be going under the waterline in the vase.
And that's it... I told you it wasn't rocket science!
