The best time to cut your flowers is early in the morning or evening, although if this isn't possible, just ensure you put them in water as soon as they are cut.

Cut your chosen flower stem, strip off approx a third of the foliage and place in a bucket of tepid water. It is often useful to have a second bucket for the waste foliage. The foliage can be stripped off when you are arranging your flowers, but it can be easier to do this in the garden.

It can be beneficial to the shelf life of the flowers to place them in a cool dark place for several hours before arranging them, but this is not essential.

Once inside....

Select a suitable sized vase or container and add water. Flower food is useful and recipes can be found on various sites, or use pre-made food.

Select one stem at a time. Re-cut the stem at an angle, strip off any remaining foliage on the bottom third of the stem and place in the vase.

Add one stem at a time to your arrangement to create the best effect, but ensure you do not overfill your vase and ruin the effect. A variety of heights, complimentary and contrasting colour and form, all add to the interest of your arrangement.