• Buy your flowers from a reputable outlet
• Choose blooms with firm petals or with buds which are showing some colour
• Keep them well wrapped until you get them home
• Keep them in water until you are ready to start arranging
• Make sure vases are very clean
• Use fresh lukewarm water and add commercial cut flower food
• Remove all leaves which fall below the water level
• Take at least 3cm (1″) off all stems, making a slanted cut with sharp scissors
• Don’t smash or pierce the stems
• Avoid placing the arrangement in direct sunlight, heat, or draughts
• Keep flowers away from ripening fruit
• Don’t mix daffodils with other flowers
• Remove faded flowers as they occur
• Top up the water regularly and add fresh flower food

Glass bottles come in interesting shapes and colours, and reduce arranging to its basics.

Choose flowers with large heads like gerbera, lilies, orchids or sunflowers – add one stem per bottle and line them up on your mantelpiece for instant glamour.

Most household containers, such as jugs and jam jars can be used for displaying flowers. With smaller containers the flowers look better with the stems cut short, so that the flower heads just reach the rim of the container. Choose flowers with full heads like dahlias, carnations, chrysanthemums and daffodils.

Try using flowers of the same colour some instant impact or use lots of interesting foliage for a rustic feel. If you have an attractive container but it isn’t waterproof, place a jar or glass inside to hold the flowers. To quickly change the look of a vase or container try wrapping a headscarf or gift wrap around it.

Use flowers which co-ordinate with the colours in the fabric or paper. Alternatively cover the outside of the vase in double-sided tape and stick leaves, raffia or ribbons all around.

A really interesting and very easy feature to produce is to cut off individual flower heads and float them in a shallow dish of water. Add small floating candles for a dramatic dinner party feature.