How should I care for my flowers to improve their vase life?

Your flowers should have a vase life of around 7 days minimum. Some however are more fleeting – sweet peas and poppies for example – lasting 4-5 days. These can be removed from the arrangement as they go over. If flowers have been out of water for a short while, on their way home, recut the stems and place in a clean vase of fresh water. Change the water every few days if possible as the bacteria build up will shorten their vase life. Try to keep away from heat sources, bright sunlight and fruit. The cooler they are the longer they will last!

Do you grow all your own flowers?

It depends on the time of year! Earlier in the year when my own flowers are still growing and yet to flower I buy in flowers from English growers as their growing season is a little ahead of ours in Scotland. Very occasionally I will order flowers from Holland if absolutely necessary. The rest of the year I grow all the flowers I use. I only have a small polytunnel at the moment but when that is replaced by a larger model I’ll be able to extend my growing season even further both in early Spring and late Autumn. I dry lots of flowers, seedheads and foliage for use in winter wreaths and arrangements.

What is your environmental approach?

All my floristry work uses natural materials. I don’t use floral oasis, plastic wrap or plastic containers. If you would like an arrangement for an event or table centre you can supply your own bowl or vase or hire one from us. Ties are raffia or twine, wrap is tissue and brown paper. Structures for free standing floral work such as for wedding work or funeral sprays are made using willow, moss and chicken wire where necessary.

I don’t use chemicals apart from ferrous phosphate slug pellets (approved by the Soil Association) for vulnerable plants in wet weather. I make my own comfrey and nettle feed and mountains of compost! For additional compost I buy bulk bags from Calendonian Horticulture which is peat free and made using council collections from parks and gardens.