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.

Here are 4 ideas on how to add some fresh flowers to your Christmas table

Your flat is probably already decked out in all its festive glory, but how about the table?

If you’ve got all the family, or all your friends, assembling around your table, you’ll want to get that into tip-top shape; not just to impress them, but also to bring it all in line.

Fresh flowers are always the way to go, but we appreciate it might be hard to pick something festive, not to mention time is of the essence once December kicks off, and florists are always busy.

So we’ve teamed up with Bloom & Wild, the flower delivery company, to present four ideas on how to make your table stand out this Christmas.

And the best thing? Carefully wrapped so nothing gets squished, their flowers fit through the letterbox, leaving you with extra time to get all set up for Christmas.

1 Wreath’s the word

Probably one of the most popular Christmas accessories, wreaths are everywhere during the festive season.

As proven so often in Mainland Europe, where the tradition of advent wreaths is well and truly alive, taking them from the door to the table can easily spread some extra cheer.

Whether you go down the simple route and leave Bloom & Wild’s Fin as-is, or add some candles and turn it into a classic advent wreath, it’s a simple but elegant way to set your table.

As a bonus, you won’t need to

2 Keep it simple, but elegant

Let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with sticking to your color scheme, and everyone loves a good bouquet.

Bloom & Wild’s the Madison comes in a simple cream and red color scheme, and the Gemma is a glorious, all-red combination of roses and rhodos roses, with hypericum berries, herbaceous rosemary and evergreen leucadendron for a contemporary twist.

For an even bolder choice, the Neve brings blood and dark red together, as the stand-out piece of the party.

And for a big table, or if you’re seriously pressed for space, the Posy Party is just the right size: five small bouquets, in festive colors, to scatter around.

3 Get a tiny tree

The only thing better than a Christmas tree, in our opinion, is to have two Christmas trees.

If, like us, you’re a Londoner or just reside in a small flat, Bloom & Wild’s tiny trees are the perfect size to fit in any room.

But you know what that also means?

They’re perfect for the table, especially if you don’t need to pass things across all too often.

Not to mention there’s nothing quite as eponymous with Christmas cheer as a small tree.

Whether you choose the George, the Drew or the Jack, they all come with a collapsible pot, so no fiddling around trying to find a stand, and a set of decorations, from fairy lights to jingle bells.

Which means, if you’re so inclined, you and your guests can decorate the tiny table tree together, for some festive, pre-dinner entertainment.

And for the beauty-crazy people in your family (or yourself – it’s the time of treats after all) the Birchtree comes with five luxury beauty treats, to take home afterwards.

4 Think outside the box

Even if your flat is decked in holly, candy canes and co, this doesn’t mean you can’t go wild on your table.

Why not go for a cheerful pink, like with the Alexa?

Or, if you’re more for the muted tones, a pastel pink-and-white number always looks classy and elegant.

Like the Harper, which is sure to level up your festive and leave friends and family a little green with envy.

For a more wintery atmosphere, the Scandi-inspired the Sadie – in soft pinks, creams and whites – or the colorful blush-tones of the Leila bring some Nordic charm to the table.

Seeing as it’s Christmas, we’re also giving one lucky reader the chance to win a full year’s worth of flowers.

The competition runs until 6 January and, sadly, is only open to UK residents, who must be aged 18 or over to take part.

All you need to do is pop your details into the form below, cross your fingers (or wish on Santa’s elves) – and if you’re lucky, you’ll receive a bouquet a month, through your letterbox.

Garden company launches glow-in-the-dark flowers for Halloween

Horticulture magazine Amateur Gardening pranked their readers in 2000 by running a story on luminous flowers, but the joke has now become a reality thanks to experts at a seed company.

The product has been created thanks to research done by horticulturists at Unwins, who created a special spray that would achieve the desired affect without damaging the plants.

The colourful bouquet includes five unusually coloured flowers as well as three creepy Chrysanthemums that glow in the dark when the lights go off.

Unwins added a touch of darkness with birch and oak leaves painted black to complete their unique Halloween product.

They carried out a trial that found the luminous spray, which is usually used for fabrics, does not affect the quality, or shelf life, of the leaves or petals.

James Oakey, the head of horticulture at Unwins, said: "We created this spooky bouquet of flowers especially for Halloween.

"They are perfect for the upcoming celebrations, particularly because the Chrysanthemums light up in a spooky green colour in the dark.

"Their shape makes them look like spiders, they've gone down really well with children.

"Their glow also illuminates the unusual shapes of the flowers around them."

He added: "We made sure that the spray did absolutely no damage to the plants before bringing them to the market.

"I have had a glow-in-the-dark bouquet at my house for two weeks and it's still looking fresh."

The plant does not need any special treatment after purchase and can be maintained in the same way as any other bouquet of flowers.

Unwins are offering the product as a Halloween special and will only be sending out one shipment, just before October 31.

The bouquet is currently being sold through the company's website for £25.