Eclipse 4

Caring for your Eclipse 4

Keep this arrangement in a clean vase of fresh, cool water and away from direct sun, heat, and any bowl of ripening fruit, which will shorten its life. The roses and lilies are heavy drinkers, so check the water level daily and top it up — and lift the dark pollen sacs from the lilies once they open to protect the surrounding petals. The hydrangea takes in much of its moisture through its petals as well as its woody stem, so a light misting helps it stay full and revived if it begins to droop. Give the protea's tougher, woody stems a fresh angled cut when you first arrange them, and handle the delphinium and anemone gently, as their finer stems bruise more easily than the rest. A recut every couple of days, with the water changed, keeps each of these blooms doing its part.

A note on your specific blooms

• Anemone — Keep anemones in cool, shallow water and out of direct heat, as the stems drink quickly and the blooms open wider each day.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lily — Gently pinch out the orange pollen-bearing anthers as blooms open to protect petals and linen from staining.
• Protea — Strip any foliage below the waterline and refresh the water every two to three days, as protea leaves foul water quickly and shorten the bloom's life.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.