Summer approaches every day with fresh seasonal and new flower varieties arriving.

We are very nearly at the end of April with fresh seasonal flowers arriving daily. The fresh scent of flowers is filling my shop and people walking by are remarking on the scent of the flowers.

Every year, the seasonal flowers change almost like clockwork with Peonies just about to arrive and other wonderful varieties of seasonal flowers arriving all throughout the summer. I do buy British, but as we all know, there simply isn't the varieties required to please an ever more sophisticated lover of flowers.

Every day, fresh beautiful grade A flowers arrive at my shop around 6 to 7.00am. Every day, each stem is conditioned immediately and placed in fresh water.

It's a daily ritual, so my customers receive the best quality flowers. Whilst I am doing that, I am quality controlling and removing any stems I do not believe are yet of a high enough quality. When flowers arrive with me, they will still be closed, or some are open but remain open and these flowers start to peak after they have arrived with the person be they gifted to a loved one or purchased by someone for themselves.

The longevity of a bouquet starts with the freshness of the flowers, the conditioning and the care before being transformed into floral art. The consumer or the receiver of the flowers plays a large part, by using the flower food supplied and changing the water frequently. Not having the flowers near a heater or in strong direct sunlight helps.

I want you to have or to give floral art to someone who will have the greatest longevity possible.

A bouquet of flowers may well contain a mixture of floral time lines, where some flowers will start to open as others peak.

Yes, if just put into fresh water and left, the flowers have a reasonable lifetime, if cared for, the lifetime can easily double and quality stems give the opportunity to maximise lifespan and as a florist, that's what we want. We want the recipient to enjoy the beauty for as long as possible.