Whether it's a bouquet of beautiful #Valentines roses from your partner, a friendly bunch of daffodils from your best friend, or some freshly cut hydrangeas from your garden, all of us at JBF love to see a vase of fresh flowers.  So with this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to share my top tips on how to keep the flowers from my shop in #Hythe #Southampton looking fresher for longer in your home.

If you've recieved your flowers as a bouquet or hand-tied from Jane Bidwell Flowers, you will notice that the stems are held together with a ribbon tie.  This is what I call a tie-point, and one of my florists will have already removed any petals or leaves below this line.  This is to help the water in your vase stay cleaner.

Once you've unpacked your flowers, fill a vase 3/4 full with lukewarm water, then add half a sachet of florist flower food (attached to the side of your bouquet/hand-tied) and mix until dissolved.  The flower food we supply provides nutrients to help keep your flowers fed and happy!                                        JBF TIP: Always, always use a clean vase that hs been washed in hot sopay water and rinsed wel to help remove ay pesky bacteria.

Next, use a sharp pair of scissors to cut a half inch off the base of each stem diagonally. before placng your stems in the vase of water.  A nice clean diagonal cut ensures the surface area of the stem is maximized so that the cells of the stem can absorb as much water as they need.    JBF Tip: It's a good idea to trim a little bit from the stems at least every other day to help the flowers receive a stedy flow of nutrients and water.        

When choosing a locaion for your flowers in your home, it is a good idea to choose a slightly shaded place away from heat sources or drafts to ensure longevity.

To keep your flowers happy, healthy and fresh for as long as possible, I recommend that you cut a fresh stem end, and empty, wash and refill the vase with warm water and flower food every couple of days.  This helps to get rid of any bacteria, thus prolongs the flowers life.

With all these life-extending flower tips that have worked for me and the florists in my shop, i'd really love to hear any tips that have worked for you.

Hope to see you soon.

Love Jane x