Golden Prairie

Caring for your Golden Prairie

Keep Golden Prairie out of direct sun and away from cooling vents, since the hydrangea and roses are the thirstiest stems here and will wilt quickly if the water runs low. Top up and refresh the water often, and remember the hydrangea drinks through its petals as much as its stem, so a light mist or a brief upside-down soak of the head revives it when it starts to droop. Give the roses and tuberose a clean angled cut every couple of days so their stems keep drawing water freely, and strip any lower leaves that would otherwise sit below the waterline. Leave the dried lotus pods, pampas grass, palm leaf, and ruscus dry and undisturbed; they need no water and simply lend the arrangement its lasting structure long after the fresh blooms have had their moment.

A note on your specific blooms

• Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
• Lisianthus — Its stems are slender and easily bruised, so handle gently and recut at an angle before placing in clean, shallow water.
• Lotus Pod — Keep dried lotus pods out of damp and direct humidity, which can soften the stem and encourage mould.
• Palm Leaf — Submerge the cut frond fully in cool water for an hour before arranging, as palm foliage rehydrates best when the whole leaf is steeped and loses moisture quickly across its broad surface.
• Pampas Grass — Keep the plumes dry and out of humidity, and give them a gentle shake on arrival to settle and fluff the fronds.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.
• Ruscus — Strip any cladophylls that would sit below the waterline, as submerged foliage clouds the vase and shortens the life of the flowers around it.
• Tuberose — Place tuberose away from fruit and direct heat, as both accelerate the opening and shorten the bloom's display.