Flowers in the house

Flowers add colour and grace to any room of your home, not just the living room. A few tricks can make their beauty last longer.

Cutting flowers

• If cutting flowers from the garden, cut on a cloudy day or early in the morning to minimize moisture loss. Make clean cuts with pruning shears or a sharp knife.
• Plunge the stems into a bucket of tepid water as soon as you have cut them.
• Encourage flowers to absorb water by cutting the stems every few days.
• When recutting green stems, cut a 5cm slit up the stem from the base, then cut the bottom of the stem at a 45 degree angle.
• Cut stems unter water to prevent air bubbles entering the stems.
• Let flowers stand in deep water for several hours before arranging them.
• On woody plants, scrape away the bark on the lower 5cm of the stem, then slit it and recut.
• Remove lower leaves on stems as when they are submerged, they rot, producing gas that can hasten wilting.
• Trim buds that will not blossom to allow more water to go to flowers.
• If you are arranging tulips, add a few drops of vodka to the water to keep the stems standing straight.

Preserving flowers 

• Preserve flowers by adding 2 teaspoons medicinal mouthwash to every 4 litres of water. Can also try adding an aspirin or a little bit of sugar. Alternatively, the acid in a clear soft drink also works, so add 1 can of soft drink to every 4 litres of water.

  
Reviving cut flowers

• Plunge the stems into boiling water. By the time the water is cool, the flowers will have revived. Cut off the ends of the stems and place the flowers in fresh cold water.

  "Clean Sweep" by Alison Haynes