Nothing to do with cakes or baking, but...

...as Valentine's Day approaches, most peoples thoughts will have turned to the subject of flowers ;)  I often struggle to keep my flowers looking fresh as a daisy after a few days, and 
have searched for tips to help keep them looking good for longer.

Try these tips to ensure your beautiful flowers look as good as the day they were bought:

1. Before placing flowers in water, remove excess leaves from the stems. This allows more water to get directly to the flower head. 

2. Always cut the flower stem at an angle. A bigger surface area means more water can be absorbed. 

3. Bacteria build-up in water encourages flowers to wilt. Ideally change water every day to prevent this. 

4. Add a 1p coin to the vase. The copper acts as a natural fungicide, killing mould and yeast and keeping the water cleaner for longer.

5. Try adding a pinch of salt or an aspirin to the water. Salt encourages plant cells to ‘drink’ more water and contains the ­nutrient potassium, while the salicylic acid in the aspirin will help to stop the growth of bacteria.

6. Pour in a splash of fizzy lemonade. The sugar in the drink provides nourishment to the bloom and slightly raises the acidity of the water, making it closer in pH to cell sap which, in turn, allows water to travel up the stem much more quickly. 

7. Another way to kill bacteria in plant water is by adding vodka or bleach. Make sure you add only a few drops of either otherwise your plant will die.

8. Keeping flowers cool is crucial. Direct sunlight and radiators are a definite no-no, drying them out faster.

9. Placing blooms close to fruit is also a bad idea. Fruit produces ethylene as it ripens, which causes flowers to mature quicker. Let the flowers have their own space. 

10. If an individual flower begins to wilt, remove it from the arrangement or it will spread bacteria and use up nutrients the other stems might need.