Selene

Caring for your Selene

Keep Selene in a clean vase out of direct sun and away from any draught or ripening fruit, and top up the water daily, as the roses drink heavily and the hydrangea takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem. Mist the hydrangea heads lightly if they begin to look tired, and give the woody rose and hydrangea stems a fresh angled cut so they keep drawing water. Handle the delphinium and forget-me-not gently, since their slender stems bruise and snap more easily than the rest. The calla lily prefers a shallower water level to protect its smooth stem from going soft, while the orchid asks for little beyond steady, cool conditions to outlast everything around it.

A note on your specific blooms

• 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.
• 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.
• Forget-me-not — Forget-me-nots tire quickly in warmth, so keep the vase cool and out of direct sun and refresh the water often.
• 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.
• Orchid — Keep orchid stems in cool, clean water away from ripening fruit, whose ethylene gas makes the blooms drop early.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.