Soleil Bouquet

Caring for your Soleil Bouquet

Keep this arrangement somewhere cool and out of direct sun, since the peony and hydrangea are the quickest to wilt in warmth. The hydrangea drinks largely through its petals as well as its stem, so a light daily misting of its head keeps it firm, while the roses and ranunculus are thirsty and want the vase topped up generously. Give the woody protea and anthurium stems a firm slanted cut so they can take up water freely, and handle the calla lily and peony gently, as their stems bruise and crease easily. Strip any leaves sitting below the waterline and refresh the water every couple of days to protect the more delicate blooms while the orchid and craspedia carry the display onward.

A note on your specific blooms

• Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Peony — Cut the stems on an angle and use cool, fresh water, as warmth forces the heavy blooms open too quickly.
• 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.
• Ranunculus — Cut the hollow stems straight across, not at an angle, and keep water shallow and fresh, as these stems sit soft and bruise or rot easily when submerged too deep.
• Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.