MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR BLOOMS.

I freaking love flowers. I'm not sure when my love first began to blossom but it's growing at an astonishing rate and is showing no signs of wilting any time soon. Can we just take a quick moment to enjoy all of those botanical puns in that last sentence?! Sorry, I aint sorry. Some of you may remember that around this time last year I wrote a blog post called 5 house plants that even you can't kill and in a similar vein I wanted to share a few tips with you on how to get the best of your blooms. 

First things first is to start with the selection of your flowers. It is always handy to remember that if the flowers are already fully open you are buying them at their peak. Consider buying them when they are still in tight buds or just beginning to flower if you want them to last for as long as possible. 

Once you get your flowers home it is time to prep your materials. I tend to do this by washing my chosen vase to ensure there is as little bacteria a possible, whacking out my sharpest pair of scissors and then getting a small jug of room temperature water. 

Prepping flowers takes time but it's totally worth it if you want the very best from your blooms. Start by removing any damaged parts and cleaning off as much dirt as possible. It's also important to trim any flowers/foliage that lay below the water line as this will help to stop your flowers disintegrating so easily. 

Once your flowers are all clean you need to make 2 cuts to the stem. First, cut the tips on the diagonal and then make a second cut up through the centre of the stem. Think of this as maximising the surface area by which the stem takes up water - hydration is key!

Now for the fun bit, creating your arrangement. I personally prefer lots of small bunches, like in the photo above, apposed to one large bunch but thats totally up to you. To start I tend to create the arrangement in my hand by using odd numbers and mixing together contrasting colours.

Once you have settled on an arrangement check the water level at least every other day and replenish or change the water if necessary. It's also worth while removing any deteriorating foliage and re-trimming the stems if they go a little bit mushy.

When it comes to choosing the perfect spot for your blooms remember to keep them in a cool, draft free place out of direct sunlight. I love having them on entry tables in a hallway to greet you when you arrive home or scattered across side tables to add a little oasis to the space.

For anyone wondering, these beautiful peonies are from Bloom & Wild Flower Delivery. 

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