Flower Arrangement

Lesson 08 : Conditioning cut flowers and foliage

Picking and Collecting Flowers

Many garden flowers do not last long when cut because garden flowers have been cultivated for garden decoration. In hot weather, gather flowers in the late evening. The leaf of the stem reduces the water content during the middle of the day and the plant is likely to limp in cooler or wet weather the plant material may be gathered at any time. In the late evening plant contains maximum food reserves which are made during the day light hours and cells rich in resolved substances resist decay better it gives the night time for a long soak in water and the flowers are ready to arrange in the morning. Plant material should be out of water as little time as possible and therefore it is better to take a bucket half full of water into the garden. The stems of the plant can be put into water at once.