How to enjoy your flowers for longer...
If you've received a flower delivery and you’re not at home, give them a drink of water as soon as you can, even if that means putting them in a bucket of water. It will keep them fresh until you can get them home. If you need to travel with them, try to ensure the stems are wrapped in something wet like a paper towel covered by a plastic bag (so they don’t drip everywhere).
Make sure the vase is clean before filling it with water. Scrub it with washing up liquid and warm water.
Buy flowers in bud, they will last longer and you get to watch them bloom too.
If daffodils are mixed with other flowers, do NOT recut the daffodils, otherwise you risk the sap from the daffs poisoning the other blooms.
Remove stamens from lilies as the pollen can stain not only the petals but also clothes and soft furnishings if they drop. It also makes the flowers last longer. Don’t cut them just use a paper towel to pull them off.
Cut the stems (don’t break them) every couple of days, roughly 1” from the bottom, cutting at an angle to allow the flower to soak up more water.
Most cut flowers like to be kept somewhere between 18 – 22°c, away from direct light, heat or cool vents, so try to avoid putting them near radiators or air conditioners.
If you want to cut flowers from your garden be sure to do it in the morning as this is when they are stored with food and are at their most fragrant.
Don’t put fresh flowers near ripening fruit. The fruit releases a gas, which can age the flowers prematurely.
Remove any dead flowers and don’t let foliage fall below the water line as this can create bacteria and shorten the life of the flowers.
Keep the water fresh, replacing it every couple of days.
To make the bouquet look twice as beautiful place it in front of a mirror. You can also add marbles or glass beads to the bottom of the vase to catch the light and hide the stems. For an extra wow, why not add submersible lights.
