Imagine it's a special occasion and you've just received a glorious bunch of roses. You put them in your best vase and you stand back to admire them. You'd love to make them last as long as you possibly can, but other than keeping them out of direct sunlight, you're not sure what to do.
Here are some tips on how to extend the shelf life of your roses:
1. Remove the roses from the vase and put them in a temporary container.
2. Clean the vase by washing it thoroughly in water with household bleach.
3. Fill the vase with fresh water and add a half teaspoon of household bleach for each litre (16 fluid ounces) of water.
4. Remove your roses from their temporary container and lay them flat on a counter top.
5. Remove any leaves which will show below the waterline in the vase.
6. Cut about 20 mm (3/4 inch) from the base of each stem immediately before placing it in the vase. This removes any air bubbles.
7. Don't place roses in drafts or direct sunlight, or near fruit, heaters, TVs or refrigerators.
8. Change the water daily to extend the vase life of your roses.
Freshly picked roses can last up to two weeks with a little extra care.
Enjoy!
Gerry Belvedere is a former artist who now runs her own online florist service at http://www.rosaflora-flowers.com. Rosaflora delivers flowers Australia wide and overseas and offers tips on getting the most out of your cut flowers.
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
Flowering cherries While the briefness of their glory has to be acknowledged, cherries really are the hardy spring-flowering trees for temperate climate gardens... Read More
Chainsaws provide many years of service for very little upkeep... Read More
There is no mention to be found of female leprechauns in traditional Irish legend, so as to how they came to be ... Read More
Twentieth century American architect Phillip Johnson once said, "I hate vacations... Read More
Camellias Named by Linnaeus in 1735 in honour of the Jesuit priest and naturalist Georg Josef Kamel, Camellia is a genus originating mainly from China but with a range covering a large area of South East Asia... Read More
Kirengeshoma palmata Sometimes known as yellow waxbells, Kirengeshoma palmata is a late-flowering rhizomatous perennial up to 1... Read More
Fuchsia (named after Leonhard Fuchs, a 16th century German botanist) is a genus of over 100 species of shrubs and small trees... Read More