ONE of the fastest and easiest ways to brighten up your décor is with fresh, cut flowers. Using a beautiful crystal or even a quaint makeshift vase from a recycled jar to house your flowery display ensures it will be a centerpiece that uplifts the entire room.
Here are our top flower suggestions to get you started:
Roses
Probably the most obvious choice, but for good reason. While there are thousands of roses to choose from, the best varieties are those long-lasting with straight stems and a powerful scent. Some varieties to try are Mister Lincoln, a hybrid tea rose with rich-red flowers, Thank You, a deep pink variety or The Children’s Rose, which has powder pink petals. For something different, the Abracadabra rose is an extraordinary blend of red and yellow stripes.
Lily
The large stunning flowers of the lily are a florist staple, so why not grow your own? Like tulips and daffodils, lilies need leaves to build up nutrients for the next season’s flowers, so when cutting, don’t remove more than one-third of the leaves or the plant won’t be able to rebuild itself to bloom next season. Morning is the best time to cut stems so they don’t wilt. When selecting lilies for cutting, look for stems that have at least a couple of buds that are just about to open.
Sunflowers
Nothing is quite as cheery as the bright face of a sunflower. In the garden, these captivating flowers turn their heads to follow the sun across the sky. But in your home, it’ll be the sunflowers that turn heads. Avoid placing them in very cold or very hot water. To encourage more blooms, the best time to cut sunflowers is in the early morning, before the flower is fully open.
