Cut Flowers from Marks and Spencer
Prices include Delivery
|
Featured M&S Bouquet |
|
 |
Large January Bouquet
£35.00
Deep blue veronicas and ageratum add a
dash of colour to this coolly classic array of
paperwhites and creamy germini. All beautifully
complemented by a bed of lush foliage with 50% more
blooms than the standard January Bouquet.
Available for delivery from 3rd January
to 31st January 2009.
Price includes delivery |
Your questions answered
There
are a number of questions regarding cut flowers which arise time
and time again. Most people want to know
how to keep cut flowers fresh and
how to preserve cut flowers perhaps for a wedding
bouquet or other special event. Both these issues are covered in
details below. More unusually perhaps is that people like to
know
how to cut fruit into flowers, click
here to find out more. You
may have heard the old wives tale about adding sugar to a vase
of cut flowers, so here is how sugar affects cut flowers.
Basically the sugar is a nutrient and can replace those
nutrients lost to the flowers when their leaves have been
removed.
To keep
your new arrangement looking fresh and to ensure it lasts as
long as possible, follow these top tips
-
buy
your flowers from a reputable outlet
-
choose blooms with firm petals or with buds which are
showing some colour
-
keep
them well wrapped until you get them home
-
keep
them in water until you are ready to start arranging
-
make
sure vases are very clean
-
use
fresh lukewarm water and add commercial cut flower food
-
remove all leaves which fall below the water level
-
take
at least 3cm (1") off all stems, making a slanted cut with
sharp scissors
-
don’t smash or pierce the stems
-
avoid placing the arrangement in direct sunlight, heat, or
draughts
-
keep
flowers away from ripening fruit
-
don’t mix daffodils with other flowers
-
remove faded flowers as they occur
-
top
up the water regularly and add fresh flower food
Marks and
Spencer is one of the best suppliers of fresh cut flowers in the UK;
their website is packed full of flower arrangements and food and
wine gifts.
Each month they also have
an M&S bouquet of the month
as well as
some great
Online Exclusive offers just for you.
There are several ways to preserve cut
flowers. The first method uses borax and silica gel
-
pick your flowers immediately
before treating
-
remove any lumps from the borax by
running through a sieve
-
mix four parts of borax to one
part silica gel
-
cut off the flower stems close to
the base of the flower
-
add a layer of the preserving mix
into an airtight container
-
lay a flower face down on the
powder and pour more of the mixture to cover
-
lay another flower face down and
continue until the container is full
-
fit the lid tightly to keep out
all air
-
keep in a dry place for four weeks
-
at the end of the four weeks
carefully remove the flowers and blow off any excess powder
The second method uses a glycerin
solution
-
add two parts water and one part
glycerin to a small saucepan and bring to the boil
-
simmer for ten minutes and allow
to cool
-
cut your flowers to the length you
want using an angled cut
-
place the flowers into the
solution and and allow to set in a cool dark place
-
leave for 7-10 days or until most
the the mixture has been absorbed
-
wipe away any excess moisture and
arrange as required
The third method uses cornmeal and
borax
-
mix together ten parts white
cornmeal and three parts borax
-
bury the flowers in the mixture
-
leave to set for two weeks
-
arrange as required
