I’m a cut flower expert and my unusual 70p Tesco trick makes your supermarket blooms last weeks longer
I DON’T know about you, but I’ve often associated Chrysanthemums with cheap petrol station bouquets.
Gloriously untrendy, I thought the only thing going for them is that they last a freakishly long time in the vase.
But turns out I’ve been doing them a massive disservice.
In fact, new book ‘Chrysanthemums’ by Naomi Slade, claims they are not only back in style, but ‘blessed with old school glamour, and lashings of vintage chic.’
Naomi said: “Chrysanthemums naturally flower as the days shorten, and as long as the temperature doesn’t drop too low, they will often persist outdoors for months.
“The hardy varieties tend to have smaller flowers and can be grown outside just like any other perennial, where they will add a valuable splash of colour to a late-season border.
“The half-hardy floristry and exhibition types, meanwhile, are classified as Early which arrive in late summer, Mid-Season, which flower in early autumn onwards, and finally Late which flower until midwinter.
“These are more tender and they will be damaged by frost, a bit like dahlias, but if you grow them in pots they can be brought inside to continue blooming.
“Or they can be planted in a greenhouse border at the outset, and cut as required.”
And when it comes to cut flowers, Naomi has some simple rules.
“Ideally, harvest flowers first thing in the morning, when the air is cool.
“Choose blooms which are expanding and showing some colour, or in the case of spray chrysanthemums, when around one in four flowers is open.
“Cut the stems long, plunging them straight into a bucket of clean cold water, and when you have finished, trim the stalks again, under water.
“Put the bucket somewhere shady and cool so they can have a drink and recover, leaving them for several hours or overnight.
“For both shop bought and home grown flowers, strip off surplus lower leaves and cut the stems at a 45 degree angle, ideally underwater to stop air bubbles forming.
“Then arrange in a vase with a few drops of white vinegar or bleach to slow bacterial growth and make the flowers last longer.
“Change the water and add a fresh dash of vinegar every three to four days.
“You can trim the stems each time and discard any that are looking tired.
“Keep in a cool place, out of direct sunlight and away from draughts and hot radiators.”
Cut flower experts often recommend adding bleach or vinegar to the water.
While the bleach kills any bacteria in the water, the vinegar keeps the vase water at 3.5ph – which means the water moves up the stems.
You can buy a bottle of bleach from Tesco’s for just 70p at the moment.
And you can buy white wine vinegar from Asda for just £1.40.
Naomi’s book is out now, published by Harper Collins.
In Veronica's Column this week
Top Gardening tips, news, jobs and a fab beanbag competition
NEWS! THE winner of this year’s Cuprinol Shed of the Year, is Wayne Dawber with his ‘Wrinkly, Rusty and Retro’ shed.
The artist and school art technician from Crewe built his winning shed by combining materials like corrugated metal from a torn-down stable roof, and windows from a recently demolished chapel.
And he’s filled it with colourful, hand painted 1950s vintage signs – using paint to perfect a style he calls ‘industrial, ghost town chic.’
NEWS! THE winner of the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair’s beautiful border competition, was Amy Drewitt’s ‘The Daisy Chain’, about how a generational family shares a garden space through play, exploration and nature. It included sound cushions, a pool with a solar fountain, a buried trampoline, tree-hanging bells and birch tree trunk seating that doubles as a play tunnel and balance beam.
NEWS! IF you’re an amateur gardener with a community space that you want to turn into a garden to benefit others – the National Garden Scheme opens for grant applications on Monday. Visit www.ngs.org.uk
SAVE! Professional gardeners love a hop-up for pruning – much easier than ladders. Splash out on the Ladderstore’s £68.50 Youngman Oddjob Hop Up work platform, or choose the £39.99 B&Q version.
WIN! Enjoy the last days of summer chilling in an XL Indoor/Outdoor LayZ Bean Bag – and you can choose the colour! To enter, fill in THIS FORM, or for more info visit www.thesun.co.uk/Layz OR write to write to to Sun LayZ Comp, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 21.09.24 T&Cs apply.
THIS WEEK’S JOB Start thinking about sowing veg like peas and garlic for an early harvest next year. Plant garlic cloves 25cm apart, about 2-3cm deep. They’ll sprout before winter and then overwinter.
TOP TIP! If you’re still fighting bugs on your roses etc, and want to use a soapy spray, Ecover brand is the best for the environment, although all others will work.
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