Keeping flowers fresh

Cutting flower stems and pruning the leaves before putting them into a vase, watering them every few days, and keeping them away from direct sunlight, heat, drafts and fruits, all ensure they’re fresher longer.

Nick Drewe, trends specialist at UK’s WeThrift says raiding the cupboards may be just as beneficial to your blooms. Check these out:

Vodka
Simply add a few drops of vodka to your vase, and it will help to preserve the flowers by inhibiting ethylene production. Alcohol is also an antibacterial agent, which further makes the spirit a rejuvenating drink for your flowers.

Sprite
Sprite (and other soft drinks) makes the water in your vase more acidic, enabling it to travel up the stem more quickly. And the sugar acts as flower food. Add ¼ cup (60ml) of Sprite into your vase. It also makes them smell sweeter.

Apple cider vinegar & sugar
Adding two tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar and sugar to your flower vase is just as effective as adding store-bought flower food. The vinegar acts as an antibacterial agent while the sugar acts as additional flower food.

Copper
Dropping a small piece of copper into the middle of a vase works wonders because copper is a fungicide and naturally kills bacteria growth in your flowers. After a couple of days, the blooms with the copper will open up nicely.

The fridge
The cool temperature of your fridge will slow down the ageing process of your flowers, delaying the time they take to wilt and die. Try putting your bouquet in the fridge every night before bed, typically for a duration of eight hours.

For more tips check out www.wethrift.com/tag/gifts