My sister bought me a vase

I guess I'm just old-fashioned then. I have looked in the shops for decent sized vases in plain white but, among the Christmas finery I could only find glass ones.

I don't really let my water go brown and the stems slimy, I would like to point out. That was just for dramatic effect!

After Christmas I shall look out for china vases so that my flowers' modesty, at least, can be suitably protected.

Speaking of flowers, my D bought me a bunch of M&S Christmas flowers as a surprise last week and they were duly delivered and packed beautifully ( she'd seen an advert and just unexpectedly ordered them for me )
When I unpacked them my heart sank somewhat as compared to a £3 bunch I'd previously got from Asda there was little difference in size except for 3 gold cones and a bit of gold fern------so what D paid for her " picture " must have been extortionate in comparison.
What a rip-off from M&S ! Shame on you.

I'd swiftly put two extra red roses in the mix before D saw it last Sunday and her first words were " is that it ?". I felt so sorry for her but knew thought had gone behind what she did.

All my bases are glass. I've never really thought about it. I will try the bleach tip though.

Anyone who knows me also knows that I like to have flowers in the house at all times. I have lots of glass vases and I have also been gifted some beautiful crystal vases (mostly when leaving a job) -I like to see the stems of flowers. However I do have some very pretty pottery vases handmade by my son and therefore priceless.

I only ever use clear glass vases. Anything else looks ridiculous to me! Lol!

My vases seem to be mostly glass too.

Someone once suggested dropping a soluble aspirin in when changing the water which perks the flowers up.

Thanks for the tip about the bleach - I have bleached the vases when they've been emptied but never used a drop in the flower water.

All my vases are glass although one is frosted so you can't see through it. I like glass vases.

That sounds like a good tip, thank you. I’ll have to treat myself to some flowers tomorrow to try it out.

I use bleach too, Chewbaca. It kills bacteria which is the cause of the slime but is harmless to the flowers.

No one ever believes me but I promise you that this really does work....
Once you've trimmed the stems and cut if any leaves that will be below the water level, fill the vase with cold water and add a quick splash of household bleach. About a teaspoon will be enough in an average sized vase. The water remains clear and the flowers stay fresh for a week or more.

I didn't believe it either until I tried it.

When you change the water just top it up with a little lemonade or a spoonful of sugar. Flower food contains chemicals. Most of the cut flower growers who specialise in British flowers have stopped using it.

I have two glass vases. One is blue so you can't see the flower stems through it. The other one is a smallish cut crystal vase that is really only good for sweet peas and fresias.

Not America's!! 'that came with them'

Trouble with changing the water is that the flowers lose the benefit of the flower food that America's with them. I guess you're supposed to have your own supply.

A hand tied posy in a glass vase looks lovely.

I like glass vases too never let any leaves be in the water and change it and no I don’t think they look naked I mean thats how they grow, they don’t grow with just the flowers showing ?

I love glass vases and realise all but one of mine are glass!
IMO they show the flowers off best without competing with them.
Whatever is the problem?
I change the water or top it up as necessary and it goes without saying that I don’t let the stems go slimy or the water turn brown!

Agree glass marbles or glass stones.

Beetroot juice or food colouring.

I have also used a long broad type leaf wound round the inside of the vase to hide the stems.

Last year I was asked to make some table decorations using small clear glass goldfish type bowls.
To hide the flower stems I used either orange slices or lemon slices around the inside of bowls.
It was summer time so the flowers were yellows and oranges.

Change the water often, cut off any leaves which will be under the waterline. The majority of my vases are clear and I would not change them.

I know exactly what you mean. I have several nice glass vases but hate that naked stem look (and the green water). I’ve found that coloured glass marbles in the vase help and hold the flowers in place too, but this doesn’t work with soft stemmed flowers.