Victorian Rise

Caring for your Victorian Rise

Keep this bouquet in a clean vase of cool, fresh water and recut every stem at an angle before it goes in, since the Roses drink heavily and resent a sealed or crushed cut. Hydrangea takes up most of its moisture through the bloom itself, so a light mist over the heads and a deep drink will revive it faster than relying on the stem alone, while the soft, hollow Gerbera stems bruise easily and prefer only a few centimetres of water to stay upright. Give the Calla Lily and Sunflower stems a clean trim too — both sip steadily and discolour the water quickly, so refresh it every couple of days. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, and keep the whole arrangement out of direct sun, draughts and the ethylene given off by ripening fruit, which the Orchid and Monstera in particular dislike.

A note on your specific blooms

• Amaranthus — Recut the stems at an angle and keep the water shallow, as amaranthus drinks heavily and the lower stem softens quickly when submerged too deep.
• 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.
• 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.
• Monstera — Wipe the leaf clean and recut the stem on an angle, keeping it in fresh, shallow water to hold its sheen.
• Orchid — Keep orchid stems in cool, clean water away from ripening fruit, whose ethylene gas makes the blooms drop early.
• 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.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.
• Sunflower — Sunflowers are heavy drinkers, so use a tall vessel with plenty of water and top it up daily to keep the stems firm.