Caring for your flowers

• Strip all the leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds of each stem. As a general rule, any foliage below the water level should be removed to prevent it rotting in the water.
• It’s essential to re-cut all stems. Use a sharp knife or secateurs to avoid crushing the stems and reducing their ability to take up water and nutrients.
• Always use clean vases. If dirty, wash thoroughly with detergent and a bottle brush.
• Keep flowers away from direct sunlight, radiators and draughts. The cooler the room, the longer your flowers will last!
• Change the water and clean the vase every two to three days, particularly in hot weather, re-cutting a little off the bottom of the stem each time. This avoids the build up of bacteria that will essentially shorten the vase life of your flowers.

Special requirements/Problems

• Woody flower stems (roses, viburnum, hydrangeas and other) should have an additional vertical cut through the base of the stem to a length of about 5cm (2in).
• Stems prone to bending (tulips, gerberas and other) are sometimes prone to bending. If left, the stem will remain in this position. To straighten the stems, cut a good 3-4 inches off the bottoms and change the water in the vase. They should then start drinking up straight. 
• Drooping stems (roses, hydrangeas, peonies and other) are likely to be a result of lack of water or poor water uptake. Re-cut the stems. Change the water and clean the vase. Position in a cool place. In extreme cases you may need to you may need to wrap the bunch flowers in newspaper or similar and stand them in very deep water - ideally up to their necks, for at least two hours – ideally over night.
• Water in the vase becoming murky or smelly. Change water more regularly and ensure vases are thoroughly cleaned before use.