Artemis

Caring for your Artemis

Artemis brings together soft, thirsty blooms and firm architectural stems, so it rewards a little attention to both. The Gerbera and Calla Lily have the most delicate stems in this group — they bruise easily and can bend at the neck, so handle them gently and give them clean, deep water to stay upright. The Anthurium and Orchid prefer their water on the warmer side of cool and dislike cold drafts, while the Allium, Craspedia and Eryngium are happy drier and will hold their shape with very little fuss. Recut every stem at an angle before arranging so each bloom drinks freely, and lift out any Gerbera that tires first so it doesn't cloud the water for the longer-lasting stems around it.

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.
• Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
• Calla Lily — Re-cut the thick, fleshy stems on an angle and keep water shallow, as callas are prone to softening if stood too deep.
• Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
• Craspedia — Give each stem a fresh diagonal cut and stand it in clean water; the bare stems need little else, and the golden heads hold for weeks.
• Eryngium — Trim stems at an angle and keep the water shallow and clean, as Eryngium dislikes sitting deep and lasts longest in a cool spot.
• Gerbera — Gerbera has fragile stems — use shallow, clean water and support the heads.
• Orchid — Keep orchid stems in cool, clean water away from ripening fruit, whose ethylene gas makes the blooms drop early.