Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
LET’S HEAR IT FOR FLOWER POWER
• Bulk out your fresh flower arrangements with paper, preserved and dried flowers. They will last longer – bonus!
• With fresh flowers, the trick is to condition them so they last longer. Use sharp scissors or secateurs to cut stems at a 45° angle a few centimetres up the ends, then plunge them in fresh water with flower preservative. Keep the flowers in a cool (not cold) room out of direct sunlight if possible.
• Wondering how dried and preserved flowers differ? The former are ‘dried’ by the removal of water, while the laer are treated with silica or borax to be long-lasting. Lile wonder preserved flowers are so popular at present, as they hold their shape and colour while being slightly more robust than their dried sisters!