Buying
flowers to display at home is a routine that many households
around the UK do everyday. Some homes, blessed with good soil
and ample space for a garden have flowers at their disposal,
limited only by their garden size. But for others, the only
option of bringing these beautiful and colorful items to their
homes is through a flower shop or an online flower delivery
service.
Unfortunately,
people often hesitate to buy fresh flowers because they think
they can't get them to last more than a couple of
days. Some flowers are short-lived, but most commercially grown
flowers will last at least a week if given the right treatment.
Commercially grown flowers are specially treated after cutting,
which means they will last longer than varieties cut from the
garden.
Conditioning is the term florists use to mean
getting the flowers ready for arranging. By following these
few simple
steps you
can get extra life and pleasure from your flowers. These
apply to both flowers bought in the shop and those coming straight
from your garden:
- Make sure vases are very clean.
- Use fresh lukewarm water with commercial
cut flower food added.
- Strip all leaves below the water level.
- Take at least 3cm (1") off all stems,
making a slanted cut with a sharp knife or very sharp scissors.
- Avoid direct sunlight, heat or draughts
that can shorten the flowers' life.
- Keep flowers away from fruit and remove faded
flowers as they occur.
- Top up the water regularly and add flower
food in proportion.
