Choosing the Freshest Flowers on Real World Gardener

 TALKING FLOWERS    Tips on Choosing the Freshest Flowers <p>Do you regularly buy a bunch of fresh flowers to brighten up your home?</p> Do you find that no matter which ones you buy, you just can't seem to get them to last past a few days, but friends regularly boast about how their flowers last for over a week? Sometimes I cringe when I see a bunch of flowers outside some supermarkets because I know what signs to look for that tell me whether or not they’re really fresh. But could you tell how fresh a bunch of flowers are when you see them for sale? <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIA90jZs8qgfWr5M7_alyK3pXQzJQABIS0thYlQhfhpx1Xh5MheZzf0LQ8KrjC3dKqEJ8Kqmnlp3SIofxOFNTOBFQpYVtWwSs4k8haeNRdYHu3HI3Shdqgv2fKp33dHyMO67I7y28qY97HK2T-EWVkKeH935XGAfP2n_jSNQx02yymg_77yHcYmkGeQ/s2256/Cut_Flowers_for_Sale.jpg'></a> Some of the top tips are <ul><li>Keep your flowers away from the fresh bowl of fruit.</li> </ul> The reason is because fruit, particularly ripe bananas give off ethylene which hastens the demise of your fresh flowers.  If you think about it, placing a firm pear next to a banana in the fruit bowl, makes it soften up really quickly. <ul><li>Feel the stems to see if they’re fresh and not slimy.</li> </ul> Slimy stems stems means they've been sitting around for more than a few day. If you can't feel the stems that cast a close eye on the actual petals and ask yourself, " are the petals showing any signs of curling or browning at the edges,?" If the answer is 'yes' then move onto the next bunch. <ul><li>Avoid buying flowers from the roadside.</li> </ul> Roadside flowers have inhaled all those exhaust fumes and that's a speedy way to make them fade.   Don’t worry, Nadine Brown will tell us how lots more . I'm talking with Nadine Brown floral educator of <a href='https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/91150702456773281/5980234728880201831'>www.theivyinstitute.com.au</a> If you like buying fresh flowers you should listen to the podcast. If you have any questions yo