Flowers are an integral part of modern living; used for celebrations, gifts, as a mark of love or respect , decorations in houses, restaurants, shops, streets and even on people! We are as attracted to the bright colours and smells of a beautiful flower, as are the insects that they were designed for. As a result, there is a huge demand, and you would be hard pressed to walk down any high street without there being at least one florist at hand.

Many people simply love having flowers around the house, and will buy flowers regularly simply to brighten their rooms, and there are few ladies who would not be pleased to receive a beautiful bouquet as a gift.

Flowers are great ice breakers. Imagine turning up to a house, to meet a friend or relative that you have not seen for some time. The act of giving flowers immediately does two things. Firstly, it is always nice to receive a thoughtful and beautiful gift and it shows that you care about the person you are visiting. Secondly, it gives you something to start your greeting with, distracting from those first few awkward moments.

Looking after flowers is a simple matter, and although some people groan when they think about that last old bunch of flowers they threw away, with smelly water and dropped leaves, if three simple conditions are met, you can keep your flowers looking great for longer.

1. Most shop purchased cut flowers, come with plant food. Use it! It is there for a reason, not just as an interesting packet to be immediately discarded. The food not only nourishes the plants, but usually creates slightly acidic water which will help to prevent horrible bacterial build up in the vase. Flower sellers want your flowers to last longer, so that you will come back to them. If plant food didn't work, they would save their money - after all the first thing you ask when buying a bunch of flowers isn't 'Does this come with plant food?'

2. Avoid stagnant water. How? Well, firstly make sure the flowers are cut to the correct length for the vase, and then gently strip off the lower leaves by running your clenched hand loosely down the stem (NOT ON thorny flowers, like roses, just pick them off). Dead leaves in the water quickly rot and cause that horrific smell and the dreary business of clearing up a vase after your flowers have died. Change the water regularly - at least every three days, to prevent the water stagnating. Both these actions also help prevent fungal growth.

3. Avoid putting your flowers in direct sunshine or next to open windows and drafts. Sunshine not only heats up the flowers, but makes the leave photosynthesise, which uses up their energy reserves more quickly and can also fade the petals, making the colours less vibrant. Cool, but bright conditions keep your flowers fresher, for longer. Constant drafts over leaves will dry out the flowers more quickly and this, especially if you don't notice the water going down, can result in wilting. Too much wilting or stress on flowers causes them to hurry toward seed production and therefore shortens the flower's useful life when the petals drop.