MICHELLE BUCK’S TOP TIPS

Tesco Head Florist Michelle Buck gives her top tips to help ‘Keep Love Alive’ this Valentines Day, ensuring your flowers stay looking their best for longer:

1.  Check for freshness – Always check the water that the flowers are standing in, it must be fresh and not smelly or gungy. Check the leaves on the flowers and make sure they are not yellowing or wilting
2. Give them a trim – Once you have removed your flowers from the packaging remove lower leaves and recut stems with a sharp pair of scissors
3. Cut the stems – Cut your flower stems at a 45degree angle. This creates a larger surface area for the flowers to drink
4. Use a clean vase – Always make certain you clean your vases – dirty vases harbour bacteria, a simple wash in hot soapy water and a little bleach will eliminate the bacteria
5. Give them a nice home – Never leave your flowers in direct sunlight or in draughts
6. Keep away from fruit – Keep fresh flowers away from ripening fruit, it gives off a gascalled ethylene and will cause your flowers to lose their longevity
7. Keep your head up – If your roses ‘neck’ or bend after a couple of days, they could have an airlock in the stem. Simply cut the stem and place into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Then recut the stem as the hot water will have damaged the ends and place in to cold water. This should destroy the airlock and you should notice the heads lift after around 30 minutes
8. Avoiding stains – Try to remove lily stamens so they do not stain furniture or clothing. If you do manage to get lily pollen on your clothes do not rub it, simply take a piece of cello tape and dab the pollen away

9. Bleach for longevity – 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.