If you've been lucky enough to have some roses delivered this Valentine's Day, congratulations! You're obviously very happy and in love.
If not, no worries - go buy some for yourself, you strong, independent warrior!
Once you've had all the joy of receiving your blooms, you're going to have to take care of them properly if you want them to stick around.
The flower-loving team at Feel Good With Flowers have put together some top tips for keeping those cut roses fresh.
- Bleach your vases before you put your flowers and water inside - bacteria multiples fast in the warmer months of the year, so your vase may look clean, but be harbouring bacteria
- Regularly re-cut your stems and strip off loose foliage, and always trim the rose ends on an angle for ultimate water absorption
- Ask your florist for 'flower food', which comes in a sachet and can be added to water
- Roses need lots of water, changed regularly. Every two days is ideal
- Don't leave red roses in the sun or hot places around the house; leave them in the bathroom or a cooler part of the house and bring them out on the table for dinner at night
- Quite often, imported roses are maxed out by the time they get to the consumer - believe it or not, they're about three weeks already by the time they arrive. Buy locally grown roses from local florists and question your florist's supply chain
- Don't place your roses by any fruit bowls, because ripening fruit emits a gas called ethylene which can cause cut flowers to age more rapidly, making them more susceptible to wilting and withering before their time
Your roses will last up to 10 days if treated well, so take the time to smell them!
