Help is at hand to ensure your Mother’s Day flowers look lovely long after Mothering Sunday.
Here are Top 10 Tips for caring for your Mother’s Day flowers courtesy of Interflora expert florist Natalie Stanyer:
1. Use a clean vase, adding fresh water mixed with Interflora flower food.
2. Always keep the fresh water level high to promote long-lasting flowers.
3. Remove 2cm from the bottom of the stems. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the stems at an angle to give the flowers a better chance of taking up water.
4. Avoid smashing or piercing stems as this can destroy their water vessels and prevent water absorption.
5. Be sure no leaves are floating in the water as this could promote the growth of bacteria, which can shorten the life of your flowers.
6. Every 3 days remove the flowers from the vase and re-cut the stems. Remove any dead or damaged blooms, or foliage that falls below the waterline.
7. Most flowers are best displayed away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents.
8. Place freshly cut flowers into lukewarm water rather than cold.
9. Avoid placing fresh flowers near ripening fruit, which releases tiny amounts of ethylene gas. This is a colourless and odourless gas so it’s almost impossible to detect, it causes flowers to wilt, petals to drop, leaf drop, leaf browning and can even stop flowers blooming.
10. For flowers that have been arranged in floral foam, it is best not to remove the stems from the foam – simply add water and flower food into the container every 1 – 2 days and remove blooms as they fade.
The Interflora Mother’s Day 2011 Collection will be available to order right up until the afternoon of Saturday 2nd April for delivery on Mother’s Day, Sunday 3rd
Pictured here is Interflora’s Rose And Anemony -hand tied. Priced at £34.99.
Interflora can also create individually designed floral gifts with its Designed to Order service. Simply advise on the style, colour and how much you would like to spend.
To place your Mother’s Day order visit the Interflora website.
Tel: (0844) 453 3555.