Broaden the palette of florists’ flowers by cutting your own stems from the garden. A few simple considerations will help get the best from them
Flowers from the garden
Cut flowers in the morning when their stems are fully turgid (filled with water). Place the stems straight into a bucket of water (left),
or as soon as possible after cutting. Use a sharp
knife or secateurs and avoid leaving jagged cuts on the stems that could lead to decay.
Most flowers are best picked when they are just starting to show colour. Those in full bloom will go over much more quickly. Pick flowers
in a spike arrangement, such as foxgloves and gladiolus (right), when the lowest flowers have just opened, although wait until most flowers
are open before cutting delphinium spires.
Many annuals and some perennials will bloom over a longer period if picked regularly. However, pick more lightly from slower-growing shrubs to avoid stressing the plant. Picking is a form of pruning, and heavy pruning may cause excessive leafy growth at the expense of flowers the following season.
Conditioning
Cut stems to length with a clean, angled cut. Woody plant stems should have an additional vertical cut through the base of the stem to a length of about 5cm (2in) (left). Stems prone to drooping, such as poppy and Euphorbia, can be sealed by dipping the bottom of the stems into hot water (just off the boil) for 30 seconds (right). (Always wear gloves when handling Euphorbia to protect skin from its irritant milky sap.)
Strip all the leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds of each stem. As a general rule, any foliage below the water level should be removed to prevent it rotting in the water.
Place prepared stems in a bucket of clean water and leave in a cool place for at least two to three hours or ideally overnight. This will allow the flowers to drink before being brought into a warmer environment.
In the vase
Always use clean vases and dissolve some cut-flower food in the water. This will help keep the water clean as well as feed the flowers. Change the water and re-cut the base of the stems every three to four days.
Helen Bostock