Keep Valentine’s blooms fresher for longer 

Bloom loving Britons are being offered top tips on how to keep Valentine’s Day flowers looking fresh for longer. 

The green fingered experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have put together advice on how to care for cut flowers. 

Among the tips is picking the best vase for your blooms and making sure you use any flower food that comes with them.

Remember to keep cut flowers away from heat – they thrive in a cooler environment and don’t forget to change the water frequently.

Gardening expert Chris Bonnett from GardeningExpress.co.uk said: “Cut flowers are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift and keeping them looking gorgeous for longer is easy if you follow these tips.

“Factors like the way we cut the flowers, the type of vase we keep them in and the temperature of the room that we keep them in all makes such a huge difference in the longevity of your beautiful blooms.”

GardeningExpress.co.uk‘s advice for looking after cut flowers:

Choose the right vase

Heavier flower arrangements should be kept in a short vase and should have short stems, giving the flowers more room as they bloom. A lighter selection of flowers can be placed in a taller vase. They take up less room as they grow.

Use the flower food provided

Most cut flowers come with a packet of flower food which a lot of people tend to disregard. Fill up the vase and add the sachet into the water. If your flowers don’t come with flower food you can make your own at home. Mix together two tablespoons of lemon juice, one tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of bleach for every litre of water. This will slow down bacteria growth and keep your flowers fresh for longer.

Keep the flowers away from heat

You may think placing cut flowers near sunlight is best for their growth but actually, cut flowers thrive in a cooler environment. Avoid keeping them anywhere in your home that gets too warm and humid.

Change the water every other day

Bacteria thrives in stale water so it’s important to change the water every other day to keep it fresh and get the most out of your flowers.

Don’t forget to wash the vase

Each time you change the water in your vase, you’ll also want to give it a really good clean with warm soapy water. Don’t forget to give it a good rinse to ensure all of the soapy residue is off before putting your flowers back in.

Cut your flowers properly

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not cutting stems properly. Make sure you have a sharp knife or secateurs and cut the stem at a 45 degree angle each time you replace the water in the vase. This angle will provide the stem with the largest surface area possible, meaning it can absorb more water.

Clean up foliage below water level

It’s important to keep the water in your vase clean so you should clean up any foliage that is on the stems below water level. Leaving foliage in the water could cause it to rot which will harm your flowers.