Herself's Houseplants

“THERE has been a very big European trend to have oversized vases and create arrangements inside of them,” says Paula Pryke, a London-based authority on all things floral and author of the new book “Table Flowers: Innovative Floral Designs for Entertaining.” For a smart, sophisticated and simple-to-make variation on the current trend, Pryke suggests suspending orchids in glass. “You don’t need a lot of flowers,” she says. “It does last a couple of weeks.” [ read more Flowers get a fresh new look]

I like this, it has a very modern feel to it. The author gives how-to details in the article. I like the way the coiled aluminum wire suspends the flowers. I hadn’t noticed when I first saw the photo that the vase is also full of water that has had some plant food added to it.

Buying:
Single stem flowers should have blooms fully open. ( asters, calendulas, chrysanthemums etc )
Branching flowers should just be starting to open. ( roses etc )

Cutting:
Cut early morning for best cut flowers and immediately put into a bucket of water
Blooms that have not yet begun to open often won’t once cut

Containers:
Should be clean
Fill with warm water
Place in a cool room away from direct sunlight

Prep:
Remove leaves that will be under water
Cut the bottom inch off of each stem

Water:
I just add 1 tsp of vinegar
A more common recipe is: ( 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp bleach, 2 tsps lemon or lime juice, 1 quart warm water )

More information:
Cut-Flower Care: How to make Your Fresh-Cut Flowers Last
The Kindest Cut

Thanks for the image!