Bumblebees Use Temperature Patterns to Choose Flowers, Says New Study

 A wide range of flowers produce not just signals that we can see and smell, but also ones that are invisible such as heat. According to new research from the University of Bristol, UK, bumblebees can use these temperature patterns as a cue to recognize flowers and make informed foraging choices based upon them.

Bees experience the world in a different way to humans. The plants that they visit exploit the bee’s senses to make sure that a searching bee can easily find, handle and pollinate flowers.

For example, bumblebees can learn to choose between flowers that are different temperatures, using heat as a way of identifying the best flowers.

Some wild flowers are warmer than others when they grow in their natural environment.

"Recent advances in technology mean that scientists are now able to take a more detailed look at flower temperature than ever before," said lead author Dr. Heather Whitney from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences and colleagues.

"We used this technology to look at 118 species of plant, including daisies, rockroses and poppies."

The majority of flowers examined by the team had complex patterns of heat across their petals, echoing the colorful patterns that we see with our own eyes.

On average these patterns were 4-5 degrees Celsius warmer than the rest of the flower, although the patterns could be as much as 11 degrees Celsius warmer.

Dr. Whitney and co-authors made artificial flowers that copied these heat patterns, but did not include the corresponding color patterns.

While these artificial flowers look identical to human eyes, and we are not able to tell them apart, it is a different case for foraging bumblebees.

Bumblebees were found to be able to use these patterns to distinguish between different flowers and the rewards that they provide.

"The presence of multiple cues on flowers is known to enhance the ability of bees to forage efficiently, so maximizing the amount of food they can take back to sustain the rest of their colony," Dr. Whitney said.

"Climate change might have additional previously unexpected impacts on bee-flower interactions by disrupting these hidden heat patterns."

On the Dry Side: South Africa offers treasure trove of winter-growing bulbs

 South Africa has an extraordinary number of plant species found nowhere else, including hundreds of species of bulbs. Some of these bulbs are well-established in the gardening world, such as Agapanthus or Amaryllis belladonna, but others are little known except to bulb aficionados. They vary greatly in size — from large ones, with bulbs as big as a football, down to miniatures, with bulbs smaller than a pea.

While some grow and flower during the summer months, others spring to life toward the end of the year and grow through the winter. The winter growers come from the western part of the country, which has a Mediterranean climate much like that of California. With very little rainfall during the summer months, these plants respond by sleeping through the dry summers and waking up when the rainy season begins in autumn.

Often, they are so strongly adapted to this regimen that they do not last long when grown in places with wet summers. Happily for us, they present little difficulty in the coastal parts of California, where winters are not too cold and the rainfall arrives just when they need it.

Among South Africa’s treasure trove of winter-growing bulbs is the large genus Lachenalia, with 133 species. These are small plants with delightful flowers, the great majority of them found in the southwest corner of the country, in the winter-rainfall zone. Many of them have spires of tiny short-tubular flowers, but some of the showiest kinds have larger, vividly colored long-tubular flowers, which are pollinated by nectar-feeding birds.

One such species is Lachenalia punctata, which grows mostly in sandy coastal locations both north and south of Cape Town, though there are a few places where it occurs farther inland. This plant has long been known by the name Lachenalia rubida, but recent research shows that the older name, Lachenalia punctata, refers to the same species, and should be used because it was published first, in 1788.

Lachenalia punctata emerges from its summer dormancy in the fall, coming up about late October to November at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. The flowers develop rapidly, beginning to bloom even before the leaves have developed fully. Each mature bulb produces a single slender flower stalk, which may in some cases grow to a height of 10 inches, though they are usually shorter than this. The cylindrical flowers are 2½ to 3½ inches long and come in various shades of red or pink. In some cases, the red comes in the form of speckles on a background of pale yellow, and this is the source of the name “punctata,” which means spotted.

The flowers are not the only part of the plant with spots, since the pointed leaves often have dark purple spots, though these are not always present. They grow through the winter months, going dormant again when summer approaches.

Lachenalia punctata makes a fine garden plant or potted specimen, requiring sun and good drainage. Heavier soils should be amended for successful growing.

Researcher Studies Pollinator Plots for Warm Season Grass Lawns

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The nation's pollinators are in need of food and housing. Michelle Wisdom is stepping up.

Wisdom, a graduate student in horticulture, is researching ways to incorporate bulbs and other flowers into lawns and other turfgrass areas as a means of providing much needed habitat for pollinating insects.

Bees may be the most widely recognized pollinators of flowering plants, and they are the main pollen spreaders for fruits and vegetables, according to information from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. But many animals help spread pollen about.

Other insects like butterflies, moths and beetles contribute to pollination. So do birds and bats.

Pollinators are in trouble, according the NRCS and other sources. They face challenges from environmental contaminants, disease and parasites. But the most pressing challenge is loss of habitat.

Wisdom said urban spread is the biggest contributer to habitat loss. According to USDA sources, more than 50 million acres of manicured lawns, golf courses, roadsides and other managed turfgrass surfaces make grass the largest agricultural crop in the U.S. Add Monoculture farmlands and the result is that pollinator habitats have become fragmented.

When Wisdom was looking for a master's thesis research project in horticulture, turfgrass professor Mike Richardson suggested she work on the use of bulb flowers in warm-season turfgrasses.

Richardson had done some research on using bulbs to add color to dormant, warm-season grass lawns in early spring, before the grass begins greening up. He had identified a couple bulbs that could persist in lawns planted with aggressive bermudagrass varieties. He thought Wisdom might be able to continue and expand that early work.

Wisdom, a hobbyist beekeeper, wanted to expand that research to study the potential of flowers to add pollinator habitat to warm-season grass lawns.

She began by looking at more efficient methods for planting large numbers of bulbs. If you're doing a few, just dig a hole put one in. If you're planting several dozen, that's a lot of work. She found that opening a trench with a sod cutter, tossing them in and covering them up works well.

"After two years, you can't tell the difference," she said.

Wisdom observed them to see if bees or other pollinators would use them early in the spring. She was delighted to see bees feeding on the flowers as early as February.

"Bees will come out of the hive on mild winter days to relieve themselves," she said. "And while they're out, they'll feed if blooms are available."

Wisdom also wanted to see if she could find flowering plants that could coexist with bermudagrass or buffalograss during the insects' active season. She said her goal was to create a succession of blooms from early spring through late fall.

"A succession of blooms is best for pollinators," she said. "Most require diverse pollen sources for good health. And they also need a season-long succession of food sources."

The trick with the later flowers was finding plants that not only could coexist with the grasses, but also survive repeated mowings. She was able to find a combination of bulbs, white clovers and a couple other flowering plants that provided a succession of blooms.

In addition to contributing to pollinator habitat, the white clovers are legumes that make their own nitrogen and leave enough of it in the soil to help fertilize the grass.

The combination provided a succession of blooms from as early as January through as late as November. So far, the plants have persisted for two years in her test plots.

Wisdom concedes that those who want a nice, green, manicured lawn will probably not want clover and other plants popping up through the grass.But results of her research will be useful to homeowners who don't mind allowing other plants in their lawns in order to lend a hand to pollinating insects.

Wisdom said another area that would be ideal for adding pollinator habitat would be grassy roadsides. The need, there, would be to use low-height plants that won't block drivers' visibility on the roadways.

About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Leeds Castle's Festival of Flowers: From medieval fortress to enchanted castle

 

There were roses tumbling over the walls, orchids gracing the tables and a forest of delphiniums turning a royal bedroom into a magic glade.

And in the Tudor courtyard flowers told the story of Beauty and the Beast, even down to the blood-red rose under a glass dome.

More than 20 displays by designers from around Britain brought 898-year-old Leeds Castle near Maidstone in Kent to life within its state rooms and in the grounds.

Outside was a “Magical Tree” complete with flower-garlanded dream catchers while the moat arch was bedecked with a cascade of colours from roses, purple and white hydrangea, pink chrysanthemums and moonlight carnations.

Even the ruined barbican got the five star treatment with hard-wearing silk flowers hanging before its portcullis.

Many of the flowers are from Colombia in South America, the world's second biggest grower of flowers, and were carried in the bellies of scheduled passenger planes.

The Festival, which runs until Thursday, is the fifth in its current format, and was formally opened by TV gardener Joe Swift.

But the first ever Leeds Castle flower festival was run in 1901 and in the 1930s wealthy owner Lady Olive Baillie was famous for her floral displays at parties attended by Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson and Hollywood stars Errol Flynn and David Niven.

Keeping up the tradition inside the castle was an avalanche of roses tumbling out of a fireplace in the Yellow Silk Drawing Room and a four poster bed of roses and autumn fruits in the Seminar Room.

The Henry VIII Banqueting Hall was given a sumptuous makeover by royal florist Simon Lycett who decorated it from top to bottom with orchids, Chinese lanterns, roses and dahlias.

The winner was declared by Mr Swift to be a vast display of delphiniums and roses on the front lawn called "Once in a blue moon" created by Dennis Kneepkens who had flown in from Beirut the day before to set up the arrangement.

Also in the prizes was the Queen's Bedroom, which was turned into a magical forest by Amy Curtis.

Missy Dress – Elegant and Understated Wedding Dresses This Season

Today is definitely a good day and I'm smiling as I'm writing this. You see, sometimes images land in my inbox that literally take my breath away and today, I get to share them with you. It's such a pleasure to introduce you to the truly exquisite latest collection from independent wedding dress designer and maker, Missy Dress.

Before I tell you more about these wonderful dresses, I should introduce you to Missy Dress herself. Missy Dress studied fashion at university but, after graduating with a First, she took a year out to travel and then started working for a charity. However, when a best friend asked Missy Dress to make her wedding dress, she realised that designing and making bespoke wedding dresses was something she loved.

Missy Dress hasn't looked back since and recently has moved into her latest Sheffield studio. Housed in a converted cutlery factory, it's the perfect place for Missy Dress and her small team to make dresses and meet brides.

So, now you've met Missy Dress, let me hand you over to her to tell us more about the beautiful latest collection:

My latest collection is very much a continuation of the last one: soft, romantic, elegant and understated. I've opted for luxurious fabrics in a refined palette of ivory, oyster and silver tones that look great and feel fantastic on. I've remained focused on how brides will feel wearing their dress on their wedding day; everything is super-comfortable and unrestrictive, lined with silk so feels deliciously soft against the skin.

The made-to-measure nature of my work means that I really get to know each bride – I do every consultation and fitting – and these incredible women are my main source of inspiration. I remember the feedback I've had from brides when planning out a latest Collection, and try to ensure that the final designs offer enough variation to please as many people as possible, while remaining true to my own aesthetic. Designs are still fully adaptable by brides – sleeves can be added, necklines altered and fabrics changed etc.

I haven't tried to create a range of dresses that are perfectly of the moment, but rather continued to produce gowns that are timeless and romantic, and sit comfortably alongside my previous collections, which remain available to order at my studio.

I absolutely adore Missy Dress's refined, pared-back style. She keeps things simple and just lets the heavenly fabrics speak for themselves. Missy Dress says her current favourite in the collection is Clematis and this design caught my eye too. There's a real contrast between the full swishy skirt and the delicate lace top.

Get it Growing: It pays to rid plants of faded flowers

Deadheading is an important but often neglected gardening technique. It refers to pruning off old, faded flowers from a plant as it blooms. It is most often done to annuals and perennials, but it is also useful with some summer-flowering trees and shrubs.

A number of advantages to deadheading make it worth the time and effort it involves. For one thing, it improves the appearance of a plant tremendously. Plants that bloom over a long period of time often end up with an accumulation of unattractive, dead flowers and seed pods mixed in with the newly opened blooms. This makes the plant look bad even with pretty flowers on it. If you keep the faded flowers pruned off the plant, it always looks fresh — as if it were just coming into bloom.

Removing the old flowers from many types of plants also will encourage them to bloom more and for a longer period. Annual plants, in particular, bloom for a time, set seed and then stop blooming and die. Regularly removing faded flowers prevents the plants from setting seed. As a result, annuals will respond by producing more flowers over a longer season in a continuing effort to produce seed. Many perennials will send up another flush of flowers if they are promptly deadheaded.

There are other advantages to preventing bedding plants, perennials and bulbs from setting seeds. Unless you intend to grow new plants from the seed produced, it is a wasted effort. Plants commit considerable resources to creating seeds. This effort could be redirected to growing more leaves, stems and roots, leading to a more vigorous plant and, perhaps, more flowers the next season. For annuals and perennials that self-seed, deadheading prevents unwanted seedlings from popping up all over the garden.

Depending on how the flowers are produced, deadheading may involve removing flowers on a single stem, such as gerbera daisies, removing faded clusters of flowers, as on yarrow, agapanthus or amaryllis, or removing faded flower spikes, as on snapdragons or veronica. If they are large enough, individual faded flowers can be removed from a stalk or cluster containing numerous flowers, as on rudbeckia, daylily and stokesia. As individual flowers in a cluster open and fade, they are removed, but buds are left in place to bloom. Once all the flowers have opened and finished, the entire stalk is removed.

When deadheading, always remove the stem that attaches the flower to the plant when you remove it. The idea is to remove any evidence that there was a flower at that location. Besides, headless flower stems are unattractive.

If you miss removing the faded flower and a seed pod has already started to develop, go ahead and remove the seed pod. You may still help encourage the plant to bloom longer or prevent the plant from wasting energy on further developing seeds.

If you do want to collect seeds from a plant or if you want it to self-seed in your garden, you must allow at least some of the flowers to set seed. The best way to handle this situation is to deadhead early in the flowering season and then let some of the last flowers set seed.

While you are deadheading, take the opportunity to groom your plants by removing damaged, unattractive foliage and dead stems or branches. Not only is this healthier for the plants, but it also keeps them looking their best. It is also a good time to inspect your plants for developing insect or disease problems and decide what kind of control, if any, is needed. Notice if any plants need to be staked or supported after months of growth in the garden, and attend to that as well.

A few summer-blooming trees and shrubs can benefit from deadheading. Crape myrtles, vitex and oleander are more likely to produce a second flush of flowers after the first is finished if you are able to trim back the old flowers or developing seed pods. Make your cut just behind a faded cluster or flower spike.

In a few cases, perfectly good flowers can be removed from plants. In the case of coleus and caladium, where the colorful foliage is the star, the flowers or flower buds are removed to encourage production of more attractive foliage. Flower spikes of herbs, such as basil, parsley and cilantro, are also removed to encourage continued production of flavorful leaves.

Once again, the plants that respond best to deadheading by extended flowering are annuals and perennials that bloom over a relatively long season as well as some summer-flowering trees and shrubs, such as crape myrtle, vitex, rose and oleander. Deadheading will not extend the flowering time of shrubs, such as azaleas or hydrangeas that bloom from a set number of buds, or perennials that bloom for a relatively brief season. But it can make them look more attractive and prevent them from wasting effort and energy on seed production.

Flowers lovers flock to Vermont bog for wild orchids

Each spring and summer, a Vermont bog yields a rare spectacle — hundreds of wild orchids in bloom, drawing visitors from around the country.

The bulbous pink and white showy lady's slippers (Cypripedium reginae) are on full display among the ferns, bushes and chirping birds at Eshqua Bog in Hartland.

This particular orchid, considered rare in Vermont and a number of other states and different from the more common pink lady's slipper, thrives in Eshqua, because of the wet, sunny conditions, with soils containing peat and lime.

Mary English drove about an hour from Landgrove, Vermont, to see the orchids on Thursday. When she arrived, she had the bog to herself.

"I just wandered through by myself. It was very special. It's like being in a South American country," she said.

A boardwalk allows visitors of all ages and abilities access to the bog and an up-close look at the plants.

"Gosh, aren't they beautiful?" said Heather Crawley, of Maryville, Tennessee, as she studiously photographed the orchids with a special lens on Thursday. "To think it's natural, too."

Visitors can also walk a half-mile trail.

The area is technically a fen because it's less acidic than a bog and fed by groundwater containing nutrients like calcium and magnesium from the area bedrock, according to the Nature Conservancy, which owns and manages the preserve along with the New England Wild Flower Society. The sanctuary includes an 8-acre (3.2-hectare) wetland and 33 surrounding acres (13.4 hectares).

Other orchids also bloom, like yellow lady's slipper in late May and early June and the white bog orchid around now.

The lime-rich groundwater also helps to yield pitcher plants, insectivorous sundew and other plants.

But the orchids are typically the main show for visitors.

"The orchids love it at Eshqua, and people love to see the orchids," said Rose Paul, of the Nature Conservancy.

Getting bees hooked on flowers with nicotine

While some researchers have been busy developing a possible vaccine to help humans beat their nicotine cravings, others have been getting bumblebees addicted to the stuff. But the experiment wasn't just an exercise in getting the bees buzzed, it was an investigation into whether or not the drug could influence the insects' ability to learn the color of flowers. Hint: It can.

They sure do love their bumblebees over at Queen Mary University of London. Researchers there have previously taught the pollinators how to push a ball around a playing field, and pull a string to get food rewards. In a further demonstration of how a creature with a brain about the size of a pin head can be trained to execute particular behaviors, researchers there used nicotine-laced nectar on artificial flowers to see if they could get the creatures to show a preference for one color over another.

So they laced blue flowers with a plain sugar solution and purple flowers with a sugar solution containing nicotine. They then set 60 different bees lose in their artificial garden to see how they behaved. Sure enough, the bees showed a clear preference for the nectar that was doped with nicotine in the purple flowers. Interestingly though, the bees were repelled by the nicotine-containing flowers if the concentration of the chemical was too high.

The researchers then reversed things: They laced the blue flowers with the nicotine solution and the purple flowers with the plain nectar. The bees continued to fixate on the purple flowers however, showing that they had associated the color with the reward, even if they could get a nicotine buzz by visiting the other flowers (pin-head-sized brain, remember?).

"Flowers typically reward pollinators 'honestly' with rewards such as sweet nectar, but nature's trick box is endlessly resourceful, said professor Lars Chittka from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences. "Some plant species gain an unfair advantage over competing species by spiking their nectar with addictive substances, such as nicotine in tobacco flowers."

While the experiment might seem a bit obvious – of course bees would prefer a buzz-bringing solution over plain sugar water – the researchers say it opens the door to wide range of future studies analyzing ways in which plants might outcompete each other for the attentions of insects that can spread their pollen.

"I am convinced that what we found with this study is just the tip of the iceberg," said co-author David Baracchi who is now based at the University of Toulouse in France. "Plants may have hundreds of metabolites in their nectars and it is possible that many of them have to some degree similar psychoactive properties."

Alys Fowler: thinking of a green wall? Give climbing plants a go instead

On the walk to work, I pass a half-dead green wall. It had gone the way of many green walls, which are often far more work than anyone wants to let on. So I pondered the merits of green walls versus climbers. Climbers won. These are plants that actually want to grow upwards across something vertical and require no more effort from you than giving them something to grow on. Putting up wires or netting may seem a faff, but when you’re on to your third replacement plant and the drip irrigation is still overwatering a particular section of your green wall, vine eyes and wire tensioners may suddenly look more interesting.

One reason people are drawn to green walls is their suitability for small spaces. Many climbers are perfectly content with life in a container, and watering a pot is much more simple than trying to water a wall.

If you decide to grow your climbers in a container that’s, say, the size of a window box on the ground, you’ll have a hard time. Even annual climbers such as sweet peas and climbing nasturtiums need more room for their roots. Most climbers, particularly perennials, have evolved to grow in woodland, whether that’s in the depth of shade, such as ivy, or at the edge, they need something to climb and more often than not that’s a tree. Woodland soils are deep, rich and cool; this is the opposite of many pots that are shallow, exposed and often very hot. Thus, you need the deepest pot you can find. A good nursery-grown climber, whether it’s for a pot or the soil, will be grown in a long tom pot, which is taller than it is wide. For a perennial climber, ideally you’d like a 15-20 litre pot; something you can just about get your arms around. Although this may seem too big, it’s a false economy to use something smaller; you’ll have to water endlessly in summer and eventually re-pot. A five-litre nursery-bought climber potted into a 20-plus litre pot will happily fill a 2m x 3m wall (provided it’s got support to climb up).

The Boulevard collection (‘Picardy’, ‘Parisienne’, ‘Cezanne’ and ‘Countess of Wessex’ are my favourites) are compact with flowers at a height you can see them. Use a rampant Clematis montana or C. cirrhosa and you may find someone else is enjoying the blooms in the flat above.

Gardening: What are those beautiful flowering plants?

When the bougainvillea is in bloom, everyone wants to know what the beautiful flowering plants seen all over the island are.

This plant is without a doubt one of our most bright and colorful tropical plants. While they will flower somewhat all year, the height of the flowering season is now through late spring. The flowering will slow dramatically when the rainy weather begins in June.

If you decide to include a bougainvillea into your landscape, be prepared to suffer unsightly bougainvillea in December and January due to the cold weather. They are big thorny plants with a dense, spreading habit of growth. Its common height is 10' to 12' but the bougainvillea can sometimes reach 40' to 50' in height. The dwarf variety will reach only 3' to 4' in height. If you are not careful when pruning this shrub you will carry the scars for life.

The bright flowers make the hard work of caring for the plant worthwhile. Actually it is the bract surrounding the flower that furnishes the brilliant color. Colors range from red to white, peach, purple or crimson. Afterglow comes in varying shades of yellow, orange and salmon. It is especially striking when many colors are planted together in a group planting.

Bougainvillea does well in any soil type. It blooms best in full sun and when on the dry side. It is a very drought tolerant plant. It can be killed to the ground during a freeze but will usually regrow with the onset of warmer weather.

Bougainvillea is an aggressive grower with a naturally informal character. It is lovely beyond compare when allowed to scramble over an arbor or a wall. It can withstand heavy trimming but it does flower on new growth and blooming may be slowed when pruned in hedge form. The best choices for a hedge are the Elizabeth Angus or New River variety.

The most persistent and damaging pest of the bougainvillea is the bougainvillea caterpillar. It is about one inch long and is green in color. It eats the leaves giving the plant a tattered look. When you touch the plant, the caterpillars drop unobserved to the ground leaving most people wondering what is eating their bougainvillea plants. The brown moth which lays the eggs from which the caterpillars develop is about 1 1/4 inches in length. The moth is busy laying eggs during the warmer months. Chemical controls include Thuricide, Dipel, or Sevin. Dipel and Thuricide are a more natural control using bacillus thuringiensis, which will control only caterpillars and will not harm the beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps.

8 tricks to make your cut flowers last longer

Besides emptying the little sachet of food that comes with the bunch into your vase, there is a surprising array of tips that can help your roses, daffodils or lilies look their best for longer.

We sniffed out some of the strongest – and strangest – tricks to keep the wilting at bay…

Head florist at Appleyard London Lauren Probert, said: ""There is an old trick to keep your flowers looking gorgeous and fresh and you won't quite believe it.

"As an alternative to flower food put a drop of vodka into your vase of flowers and add water,  it's a surefire way to make your flowers last longer as it keeps the bacteria at bay."

Cut the stems

Tesco Head Florist Michelle Buck explains: "Cut your flower stems at a 45degree angle. This creates a larger surface area for the flowers to drink"

Hairspray

It sounds bonkers, but hairspray works on flowers the same way it does on your hairstyle to keep them looking fresh for longer. According to Serenata Flowers, you need to take the flowers out of the vase first, then spray the undersides of the petals and hang them upside to dry, before returning them to the vase.

TV ban

While you might be keen to catch up with Alan Titchmarsh on the box, keep your blooms away – putting your flowers too close to the TV will harm them, as the heat given off from these and other electrical appliances will dehydrate them. Ideally, pop them in a cool place where they get plenty of light, but not direct sunlight, which will wilt them.

Feed them Sprite

It’s a bit of an urban myth, but clear fizzy drinks like Sprite and 7-Up can prolong the life of your flowers, according to US scientists. Susan Han, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s plant, soil and insect science department, recommends a three-to-one ratio of water to soda, but with a couple of drops of bleach to stop bacteria from growing.

Clean the vase

Bacteria is the biggest baddie when it comes to bouquets, so make sure you thoroughly clean out your vase before placing a new bunch in it.

Keep fruit away

Michelle says: "Keep fresh flowers away from ripening fruit, it gives off a gas called ethylene and will cause your flowers to lose their longevity."

Pop a penny in

You’re bound to find one down the back of the sofa – so next time you get given a bunch of flowers, drop a penny in the vase – the copper is thought to stop bacteria from growing.

Bleach them

Sounds crazy, but Michelle explains: "Did you know that Gerberas are quite susceptible to bacteria. If you do not have suitable flower food you can use a tiny amount of household bleach in the water."

All India Winter Rose show ends in Gurgaon

GURUGRAM: Millennium city residents got flowery treat at All India Winter Rose Show at Leisure Valley Park. Two-day Rose show, organised by Rose Society of India in association of Huda, was inaugurated on Saturday. The Rose show, one of the most prestigious in the country, was organised in Gurgaon for the first time wherein variety of roses were put on display under 23 classes and 174 sections at the park.

"It is exciting to see so many beautiful flowers at one place. I feel refreshed after coming here," said Ananya Mukherjee adding that such shows should be organised on regular basis in Gurugram.

A lot of people with their friends and families flocked to the park to have a glimpse of the beautiful flowers in all their blooming glory. The exhibition displayed the choicest of flowers from numerous participants from different parts of the country. Besides many prominent organisations including CPWD, Airport Authority of India, Tata Energy Research Institute, Huda, Northern Railway, NDMC and DDA had also displayed their flowers.

"The show is visual treat for the flower lovers as it provides a chance to see large variety of rose -cut blooms of HT, Floribunde, miniature, climber rose and many more at one place," said secretary of Rose Society of India, Shiv Kumar Sharma adding that entry is free for all. On Sunday people can visit from 10 PM to 4.30 PM and enjoy the beauty of colourful roses.

After inaugurating the show, Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said many more such shows need to be organised in Gurugram. "Spending time with these beautiful flowers is wonderful way to rejuvenate after hectic day," said Yadav adding that colourful flowers also help in reducing stress.

He said urban authority will support such activities in future also. "The idea was to let people unwind and also adopt such hobbies like growing roses and flowers, which support nature," said Yadav.

The show was organised every year in a bid to create platform for people to understand about different varieties of roses and their uses and advantages. Sharma said beautiful flowers soothes the eyesight and calms the mind with their aesthetic colours.

People were happy that show was hosted in Gurugram, but there were few who wanted extended of the duration of show. "Two-day is not enough, duration of the show should have been hold for longer duration so many more people, school children and college students could also come and see such beautiful flowers," said Aman Khanna, an IT professional.