There's nothing like fresh flowers to brighten up a room and give it a festive look. It adds a spot of colour, sometimes and looks beautiful because it is a bit of nature. Living as we are in our concrete jungles, pre-occupied with our daily schedules, few of us have the space, time or expertise to grow our own flowers. And that is the main reason why so many flower-selling outlets have blossomed all across the city. Even remote suburbs boast of atleast one seller with a couple of buckets filled with roses and rajnigandhas (tuberoses).But then flowers are pretty expensive, with a single bud rose not less than Rs 5. So it is in our interests to be economical and make them last as long as possible. A few tips on how you can have a delightful arrangement without having to spend a fortune everytime:Have a flower arrangement in mind before making your purchase. Single colour arrangements are more effective than a mixed spray. Sometimes, a single large bloom looks stunning when combined with a lot of foliage. An Ikebana type requires less flowers. One or two usually suffices.Choose ones which are in different stages of bloom. It is better to go in for ones at the bud stage. Examine the base of the flower-head to see that the outer petals have not been pulled off as this could mean that the blooms are already a few days old which translates into less life for your arrangement.Try and carry the flowers heads down so that the stems do not break off. In that eventually, you can try your hand at surgery by inserting a pin or toothpick or thin stick into the stem.Plunge the flowers in a bucket of cool water after your bring them home. This revives them and helps them last longer.Re-cut the stems diagonally so that there is more area for them to absorb water, and strip all leaves which will come below water level. Snipping off a centimetre everyday will also prolong their life.A pinch of salt in the water in the vase will add life to the cut blossoms.Try and change the water in the vase everyday. This can be done easily by placing the vase under the open tap for come time so that stale water is soon replaced by fresh. If the arrangement is too intricate, you may try spraying it with a can or bottle.Now for the vases:Vases should be cleaned regularly to prevent odour. A mixture of salt and vinegar removes any unpleasant smell. A light vase which tips over because of the weight of the blooms can be steadied with a few pebbles or stones in the bottom.For a massed flower effect, a bowl-like vase is more useful. If you fill it half with sand, the stems can be stuck in place, making the arrangement look neat. You need not go in for expensive vases all the time. Glass decanters, jars, test tubes, little woven baskets, sea shells, even a soup bowl or that beautiful perfume bottle which has just dispensed with its last drop, can give a striking effect, when combined artistically with coloured pebbles, leaves, driftwood, pine cones or dried stalks of various grains and vegetables.If you have just a few flowers and that too, with short stems, try a floating arrangement. Put the blooms in a pretty glass bowl half filled with water. Cut a few candles to about two centimetre thick slices, light them and let them float alongside the flowers. Switch off the electricity andviola! you can have a cosy candle-light dinner!
