b'words: Mary Searlebeginners guide to. tips: oral designers Megan Dickinson, Auckland, and Helen Hebberd, Nelsonower powerSome more tips to keep your cut owers looking good.Start by purchasing good quality, fresh owers. If youreBe aware that different colours create different effects. picking owers from your garden, try to do so in theBlues are receding colours and consequently are not cool of morning or after sunset. Select owers in budgoodatnight.Redsandpurpleshaveafeelingof rather than fully open.opulence, yellows are bright and cheerful while greens Remove all leaves that will appear below the water level,are restful.otherwise they will rot and pollute the water. Re-cut the stems on a diagonal using a sharp knife or scissors, and plunge them into fresh, cold water. Allow them to sit in the water for at least an hour before arranging. By cutting stems on a diagonal, you expose the maximum surface area to take up water. Whenselectingowers,workinoddnumbers,for example, three, ve or seven of each type of ower. If you cannot decide what combination of owers to use, just purchase one type of ower in bulk. One item en masse is foolproof. Certainowerslastlongerinwaterthanothers alstroemerias, lilies and tulips will look good for ages, whereas roses can go off quickly if not looked after, and irises dont last long at all. Like people, different owers have their own particular quirks. Some, such as peonies and water lilies, close as Amonochromaticcolourschemeisverydramatic, night. Others, like tulips and anemones, will continueyet soothing, as theres not too much for the eye to to grow after being picked and will need to have theirtake in.stemstrimmedeverycoupleofdays.Andothers, Add different textures to the arrangement for more gerberas for instance, will turn to face the light. interestrough,smooth,uffy,shiny,twiggyand Combining the vase with the owers is very important.prickly. Rose hips, seed pods, fruit and gum nuts can The colour, form and height of the vase will determinealso look good. what owers you can use in it.Keep the water topped up daily and change it every Ratherthandottingthedifferentowersevenlysecond day. Keep owers out of direct sunlight andResenethroughout the arrangement, group types together inensure the room is well ventilated, especially in summer,Genevabunches, two or three at a time.to prolong the life of the owers. ReseneSargent Pepper50 |'