Make Cut Flowers last Longer

Looking after fresh flowers

By Elena Price

A bouquet of fresh, cut flowers makes a beautiful gift for a friend or relative, and is also the perfect thing to buy in order to treat yourself. If you buy cut flowers, you will want to make sure that they last as long as possible, so we’ve put together some hints and top banana tips to help you to do this.

We found this excellent video about looking after fresh flowers and have listed the key points in proper English (less excitable than the video) below:

WordPress.com Fail – can’t embed – follow the link – meanwhile here’s a lovely image.

Cool and cut your flowers

If you aren’t able to arrange your flowers immediately when they arrive, make sure that you keep them in a cool place until you can. The first step is to remove the flowers from their packaging. Some experts recommend that you then place them into cold water for a while before cutting and arranging them.

You should then use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut about two to three centimetres, at an angle of about 45 degrees, from the bottom of the stem of each flower. If your flowers are tied in a bouquet, you can leave them tied up whilst you do this, so that it’s quick to do and the arrangement retains its shape. Some experts recommend keeping the stems underwater whilst cutting the ends off of them, as they believe that this prevents air from entering the stems, meaning that the flowers can take in water more effectively when you arrange them in the vase.

Choose your vase and arrange your flowers

Make sure that the vase that you are planning to put your flowers in is clean, as the presence of bacteria may have a negative effect on your flowers, meaning that they won’t last as long. Fill the vase with fresh, room temperature water until it is about three-quarters full and remove any leaves which are likely to be below the waterline. This is important because leaves in the water will die and produce bacteria which will affect the flowers. If there is a sachet of flower food with your flowers, empty this into the water, before placing your flowers in the vase and arranging them.

Find the perfect place to put your flowers

Place your flowers somewhere light, but not in direct sunlight as this may cause them to wilt. It’s also important to make sure that they are placed in a room which is the correct temperature for them (about 18 -22°C). Don’t put them next to a direct heat source, such as a radiator, or near to any other appliances that give off heat, such as televisions or computers. You should also make sure that you don’t place them directly in a draft, or near a fan or air conditioning unit.

If you are placing your vase of flowers on a table or work-top, make sure that you don’t put it next to ripening fruit. As fruit ripens, it emits a gas called ethylene, which ages flowers more quickly. You should also try to place your flowers somewhere away from cigarette smoke, as this also contains ethylene.

Look after your flowers

In order to keep your flowers looking beautiful for as long as possible, make sure that you change the water every other day, and remove any dead flowers and any leaves from the water when you see them. Your flowers will also last longer if you recut the stems every three or four days, and you can freshen them up by spraying them gently with water.

If you follow these simple guidelines, your cut flowers should last longer. You can buy cut flowers from florists and markets, or order them online and have them delivered directly to your door or to a friend or family member’s home.

Beds – Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire

Choosing Beds – Bed Sizes and Types of Bed

By Elena Price

One of the keys to getting a good night’s sleep is to make sure that you have a suitable and comfortable bed.

Recent research shows that poor sleep is a significant contributer to poor health and previously on top banana we discussed how more sleep is good for you that regular proper sleep helps avoid high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

A study in 2008 investigated the question – can more longer and better sleep improve blood pressure and the conclusion was yes, certaibly

This top banana guide to choosing beds looks at some of the factors you should consider when buying a new one.

Bed Sizes

One of the first things to think about is the size of bed that you need. You will usually be able to choose from several different sizes but, in the UK, the sizes of beds aren’t standard, so one manufacturer’s single bed, for example, may be a slightly different size from the single beds produced by another manufacturer.

According to The Sleep Council, beds are commonly sold in the following sizes:
•    Single (approximately 3ft by 6ft 3in, or 90cm by 190cm)
•    Double (approximately 4ft 6in by 6ft 3 in, or 135cm by 190cm)
•    King Size (approximately 5ft by 6ft 6 in, or 150cm by 200cm)
•    Super King Size (approximately 6ft by 6ft 6in, or 180cm by 200cm)

However, it’s important to check the measurements of any bed that you’re considering before you buy it.

If you are trying to decide between two different sized beds, it’s usually better to buy the bigger of the two, as this will give you more room to stretch out and you’ll get a better night’s sleep.

Types of Bed

There are a number of different beds that you can choose from including divan beds, bedsteads, hideaway beds, bunk beds and sleep stations.

A divan is essentially a base for a mattress and has a wooden frame. Some divans have firm, rigid platform tops without springs whereas others feature spring units, so you will need to decide which type you find most comfortable. Generally, divan beds aren’t as firm as beds with bedsteads. You can buy divan sets, which consist of a divan and a mattress, meaning that you can be sure that the mattress is the perfect size for the divan and that the divan and mattress will have a uniform look. Some divans have built-in storage drawers, which can be handy if space is an issue in your bedroom.

If you choose a divan bed, you’ll also need to decide whether or not you want a headboard, as you will usually need to buy one separately.

A bedstead consists of a headboard and an endboard, with a base made out of wood or metal on which the mattress sits. They come in a range of styles and colours, so you can choose one that suits the style of your bedroom. You could choose traditional wood for a cottage-style feel, brass for a Georgian or Victorian look, or a fabric or faux leather covered bedstead for a more contemporary look. If you are buying a bedstead, you’ll usually need to buy the mattress separately.

Banana Blinds – Interior Designs.

A weekly chore for this site and many like it is to sort through the copious comments in the hope of finding genuine engaging comments that relate to the article they are written on. Amongst the jolly comment spam that descended upon Top banana this week was a half decent attempt from an overseas business that wanted to let me know how they found my post looking for curtains and window blinds but didn’t think it too relevant. the trackback – if thats what you call spurious linking was to a business that promoted banana fibre window blinds

But thats not all – check the Alibaba page for the India rope outsourcer and a whole Cornucopia of similar products available not just his deep linked banana general window blinds but a full range of home interior accessories including blinds, bags, rugs and mats all crafted from banana fibres. The banana fibres are hand woven into versatile fabrics for curtains and blinds but left as dried raw fibres for weaving into sturdy bags and hard wearing rugs.

The window blinds that are able to use the banana material are mainly roller blinds but there should be no reason that the same material cannot be used to create longer elegant vertical blinds.

For those disappointed not to see a selection of banana style venetian blinds we’re pleased to report that this range will be available soon – it is reported that mature banana trees that are no longer productive can be ecologically felled, replacements planted and the harden trucks sliced to craft ultra contemporary wooden blinds- super style without the eco guilt.

A little off topic but whilst researching for this post a snippet on Wikipedia Freelander page legend has it that early adverts for land rovers cite vehicles driven thousands of miles on banana oil