General Chat

I have kept all the rose petals from funerals weddings birthdays etc and use them for potpourri.

Some unusual tips there Ann, thank you.

Just found this in the DM thought you might be interested.

Fiona Burke, events manager for florist Hayford and Rhodes, gives her top ten tips for keeping flowers fresher for longer:

1. Before placing flowers in water, remove excess leaves from the stems. This allows more water to get directly to the flower head.


2. Always cut the flower stem at an angle. A bigger surface area means more water can be absorbed.


3. Bacteria build-up in water encourages flowers to wilt. Ideally change water every day to prevent this.


4. Add a 1p coin to the vase. The copper acts as a natural fungicide, killing mould and yeast and keeping the water cleaner for longer.

5. Try adding a pinch of salt or an aspirin to the water. Salt encourages plant cells to ‘drink’ more water and contains the ­nutrient potassium, while the salicylic acid in the aspirin will help to stop the growth of bacteria.

6. Pour in a splash of fizzy lemonade. The sugar in the drink provides nourishment to the bloom and slightly raises the acidity of the water, making it closer in pH to cell sap which, in turn, allows water to travel up the stem much more quickly.


7. Another way to kill bacteria in plant water is by adding vodka or bleach. Make sure you add only a few drops of either otherwise your plant will die.

8. Keeping flowers cool is crucial. Direct sunlight and radiators are a definite no-no, drying them out faster.

9. Placing blooms close to fruit is also a bad idea. Fruit produces ethylene as it ripens, which causes flowers to mature quicker. Let the flowers have their own space.

10. If an individual flower begins to wilt, remove it from the arrangement or it will spread bacteria and use up nutrients the other stems might need.

I bought 7 rose bushes from a special rose 'nursery', (if that's the English word for them) 3 years ago.They only grow the old-fashioned type that have a lovely perfume..Of course they won't be blooming for months yet. When they have bloomed for about a week, I cut them off and take off all the petals& dry them.Make nice pressies for those who like making tea from them.You can't use shop bought ones because of the chemicals used in growing them.I can't stand rose tea myself.Lol.

Thank you Claddagh :-)

I do have rose bushes but they are not in bloom yet.

It is weird but I am not seeing some of the posts until I look into the thread again.....then it looks as if I have ignored people when I haven't seen them in the first place. :-(

Tulips and daffodils in one vase don't like each other. Btw, I always hang my roses upside down on the ceiling or other places where air can circualate around them, when they have finished blooming, so have 2 x the pleasure of them.

I buy about 2-4 bunches of roses per week. Several were still going strong over 4 weeks later.The least time they have lasted only about 2 weeks.The best ones were called 'Vampires', horrible name for such lovely flowers, and, they actually had a perfume!
I always cut them on the slant, all leaves that would go under the water line cut off,(this is also for all flowers)use luke warm water with special liquid flower food added, and top up when the level of water goes down to roughly 5 centimeters.Never change the water at all.!Bought 2 bunches of new type of roses today, am curious how long they last.If you buy them during very cold weather, and won't be home for about half an hour, always put them in water, then in a cool place to acclimatize for a couple of hours, then bring them into a warm room. Good luck!

Thank you Wendy :-)

I wouldn't mind but we had a long line of florists in the family none of it rubbed off on me though. I love flowers but hate it when they die :-(

Always cut flower ends on the slant otherwise they dont take up water.if the ends are bashed they break down and put bacteria into the water.
daffodils should be on their own they give off a gas which some flowers dont like.
you could do what us flower arrangers do ,---after picking or buying flowers cut a small amount off stems and place in BOILING water for 10 seconds,then immediately into coolish water.they become nice and turgid and stand up well.

I have found Tescos the best for roses they last weeks. if given the above treatment.
Happy flower arranging .
wendy(lincs)

Sometimes Google is a lonely place Merlin, but thank you for the suggestion, I will certainly take a look :-)

Susan10146857, Google" David Austin Roses",and you can get most of the information you need,**M**. :-D

thank you for the tips :-)

In the end I cut off the complete stalk and placed each rose head in a short wide glass with a small amount of water. it seemed a shame to just throw them away. ........and guess what!......over night they have become crisp again :-D

I am now having to display them separately all over the house though.

With the above tips I will now be ready to do battle with the next bunch :-D

Most forced roses are the same,also they have no aroma,which to me is the reason to buy them(If you have to)If you cut the bottom of the stems diagonally and as Joy Said add a little Sugar or an aspirin to the water they should last reasonably well but don,t expect too much from them.David Austin Supplies roses in bunches direct to your door (For a Price) but its best of all if you grow your own,they,re worth waiting for and if you have enough ,you can fill your rooms with them and their perfume. :-D :-D :-D

When you get them home put them in a bucket of water right up to their necks for a while
Then trim and remove leaves and put into vase with normal amounts of water.
Hope it works
Von

I think roses need to be cut diagonally. Unfortunately roses this time of year are forced so won't last long in centrally heated rooms. I am not sure but some flowers don't like to 'live together. Forexample something in daffodils when expelled into the water blocks the stems of other flowers from taking up water.

try adding an asprin and a spoon full of sugar to the water
soon as you get them home

yes Maggie.....I saw some lovely valentine pot roses in Tescos .....I think I will.

The roses I bought yesterday were on offer and looked gorgeous amongst the lilies.....unfortunately they are no more :-(

Buy a pot rose - it last much longer - and when the flowers die, you can plant it in the garden :-D

Thank you Patrick. :-)

I suppose bashing the ends of them was a mistake then :-(

Usually its because air gets into the stem.

This is the way I've put roses in a vase.
First pinch off any leaves that will be below the water in the vase. Leaves rot in the water and turn it murky and that rotten water is taken up by the flower. Get the vase ready with warm water. Then cut a 1/2 inch off the stem under running water and put immediately into the vase. Change the water every couple of days and recut the bottoms like above each time you do it.

Hopefully this helps.

Thanks Chris I was hoping someone on here could tell me.......touching base and all that.... Conversing with other GR members who have had the same problem would have been nice :-)