5 Tips on How to Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer

So apparently Spring is coming. There's been no sign of it for us this week given that the snow has made a comeback but I live in hope for sunny days with tolerable temperatures. One easy way to bring spring into your house is to incorporate some fresh flowers. If you don't have a garden to pick these flowers from (or even if you do), you'll want to elongate their lifespan as much as possible. Here's our top tips for doing so!

1. Get the flowers into water as soon as possible - For obvious reasons, flowers don't do well outside water. If you are going to be out for a while then make sure the bottoms of your flowers are wrapped with a water bag. Once home, remove any external wrapping and place into lukewarm water.

2. Cut flowers with shears at a 45 degree angle under water- Flowers will take up the most water if they are cut at a 45 degree angle, given that the base cross-section of the stem exposed to the water will be larger.  Most florists advise trimming the stems under water as this keeps the air away from the stem and ensures a better water flow.

3. Use garden shears or a very sharp knife and remove excess foliage -  When cutting the stems, using these tools will help to prevent any squashing of the stem which will cause damage to the structure of the plant. Make sure to remove any foliage which is below the water level as this will rot faster and release bacteria causing the flowers to die more quickly.

4. Add a anti-bacterial agent and a form of food - If, like me, you picked up flowers which didn't contain flower food you have two options - either buy some flower food from a garden centre or make your own solution! Since I was small my granny always taught me to put a penny and a tablespoon of sugar into the water when arranging flowers and I still abide by that rule. The penny reportedly acts as an anti-bac and the sugar feeds the food. If you'd rather not add a penny, then you can add a half teaspoon of household bleach, apple cider vinegar or vodka.

5. Mist the flowers and keep them cool - Most flowers will show their first signs of dying through wilting petals. Misting will keep flowers fresher for longer. Cut flowers also do better in cooler spots which means avoiding putting them near heaters, electrical appliances which emit heat or in sunny spots. A trick my granny always used if she had flowers for a particular occasion was to put them in the fridge the night before which always seemed to give them a new lease of life.

Don't get me wrong, i'm no botanist - I can barely keep a plant alive most of the time but these are the tricks that have either worked for me or stuck with me through habit. If you have any other suggestions, let me know! I have heard a sneaky one regarding sprite. Now if someone could teach me how to arrange the flowers, that would be great.