Amethyst

Caring for your Amethyst

Keep this arrangement somewhere cool and out of direct sun, as its tropical anchors — anthurium, heliconia and bird of paradise — hold up best away from heat while the tulips and gerberas wilt quickly in a warm spot. The woody stems of the protea need a clean diagonal cut and a deep drink to draw water up their dense fibres, and the hydrangea benefits from a full vase since it takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem. Gerbera stems are the most fragile here, so support them upright and keep the water shallow and clean to stop them bending or rotting at the base. Pull the hydrangea and tulips as they tire and the orchid, protea and anthurium will carry the composition on for another week.

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.
• Bird of Paradise — Recut the woody stem at an angle and refresh the water often, as this thirsty flower drinks heavily and lasts longest in a deep vase.
• 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.
• Eremurus — Stake or support the tall stems and keep them upright, as the heavy flower spike will bend toward the light if left to lean.
• Gerbera — Gerbera has fragile stems — use shallow, clean water and support the heads.
• Heliconia — Keep it warm; Heliconia bruises and blackens below 12°C, so never refrigerate or sit it in a cold draught.
• Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
• Nerine — Keep the vase topped up but shallow, as Nerine stems are prone to softening if left in deep water.
• Orchid — Keep orchid stems in cool, clean water away from ripening fruit, whose ethylene gas makes the blooms drop early.
• 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.
• Sunflower — Sunflowers are heavy drinkers, so use a tall vessel with plenty of water and top it up daily to keep the stems firm.
• Tulip — Tulips keep growing in the vase and lean toward light, so use a tall, supportive vessel and turn it daily to keep the stems straight.