Anthurium

Caring for your Anthurium

Keep this bouquet in a clean vase with plenty of fresh, cool water, since the roses and gerberas drink heavily and droop quickly once they run dry. The hydrangea takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem, so a light misting helps it stay full and revives it if the head begins to wilt. Give the woody allium and the soft, hollow delphinium stems a fresh angled cut, and strip any lower foliage that would otherwise sit below the waterline and cloud the vase. Position the arrangement away from direct sun, draught and ripening fruit, and let the architectural anthurium lead the shape as the more delicate blooms settle.

A note on your specific blooms

• Allium — Change the water often and keep it fresh, as Allium stems can release a faint onion odour into the vase.
• Amaranthus — Recut the stems at an angle and keep the water shallow, as amaranthus drinks heavily and the lower stem softens quickly when submerged too deep.
• Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
• Carnation — Cut stems cleanly between the swollen leaf joints rather than through them, as carnations draw water best when the node itself is left intact.
• Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
• Delphinium — Keep the tall stems in deep, fresh water and out of draughts, as Delphinium drinks heavily and wilts quickly if the vase runs low.
• Gerbera — Gerbera has fragile stems — use shallow, clean water and support the heads.
• Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.