Salver 01

Caring for your Salver 01

Keep this bouquet somewhere cool and out of direct sun, since the roses and gerbera drink heavily and wilt quickly once they fall behind on water. The hydrangea takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem, so a light mist over the head and a deep, full vase will keep it from flagging early. Give the lilac and rose stems a fresh angled cut and strip any lower leaves before they sit in water, as their woody and thirsty stems take up far more when freshly opened. Handle the gerbera gently and support its slender stem against the firmer allium and chrysanthemum, letting the airy gypsophila fill the spaces without crowding the more delicate heads.

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.
• Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
• Gerbera — Gerbera has fragile stems — use shallow, clean water and support the heads.
• Gypsophila — Trim the wiry stems at an angle and keep water shallow and fresh, as the dense flower heads foul standing water quickly.
• Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
• Lilac — Lilac drinks heavily and wilts fast, so trim the woody stems on a sharp angle, strip lower leaves, and refresh the water daily.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.