How to keep your flower bouquet fresh for longer
Simple steps when you receive the bouquet that make it last longer: trim the stems, clean water and a spot away from the sun.
Fresh flowers last far longer when you look after them from the very first minute. When you receive the bouquet, unwrap it and remove any leaves that would sit under the water, because they rot quickly and contaminate it.
Trim one to two centimetres from the bottom of each stem with a sharp, clean pair of scissors, cutting at an angle, then place the flowers straight into a clean vase of cold water. An angled cut gives the stem more surface to drink, and a clean vase slows bacteria.
Change the water every day or two and give the stems a light trim each time. If a flower-food sachet came with the bouquet, add it as the instructions say.
Keep the bouquet somewhere mild, away from direct sun, air-conditioning and fans, and away from fruit: the gas ripening fruit gives off makes flowers wilt faster. Remove any wilted bloom straight away so it does not affect the rest.
Note: how long flowers last depends on the type and the weather; these are general care tips.
