Cut flowers will stay in bloom 'throughout the summer' if 1 thing is avoided

Struggling to keep cool during a heatwave can feel like an impossible task, even if you've got your fan placed right in front of you on the highest setting. Drinking plenty of water and staying out of the sun for long periods of time can help, and if you think you're struggling, your plants and flowers definitely are.

With temperatures expected to reach highs of over 30C in many places over the weekend, you might notice your flowers starting to wilt and look worse for wear, even if they're placed inside, especially as our homes get hotter. While many flowers bloom in the summer months, making for pretty floral arrangements, they can also require a bit of extra attention, and one expert has shared how to ensure they stay in bloom.

Maryam Ghani of Haute Florist said: "With a bit of TLC your flowers can stay fresher for longer - even in the height of the heat", but there's one place you should avoid keeping them altogether.

While you might be tempted to keep flowers in your kitchen, especially if it's the coolest part of the house which it often is, Maryam warned you should take care not to place them next to fruit.

Many fruits found in UK households, including apples and bananas, release ethylene gas, also known as the plant-ripening hormone.

While this is known to speed up the ripening process of other foods if placed next to it, it can also speed up the ageing process of cut flowers.

Avoiding direct sunlight and placing them away from fruit bowls will help cut flowers survive and bloom even during the warm weather. Getting the right temperature is also crucial to caring for a vase of cut flowers, with Maryam explaining that they should be kept at a "steady temperature".

In addition to placing them out of the way of ripe fruit, you should avoid keeping them on sunny window sills or conservatories, as direct sunlight can cause them to wilt.

By positioning your vase in a suitable place, you can keep your flowers in full bloom throughout the summer.

Although sunlight can be great for ripening fruit and vegetables, especially tomatoes and avocados, it can be troublesome for cut flowers as they're more prone to wilting in the heat and to bacteria.

As important as it is to position your vase of flowers, you should also take care to regularly change the water, with Maryam advising to change the water in the vase every couple of days.

However, you should be careful not to use cold water, as this can be harder for flowers to absorb, and it's best to stick to room-temperature water instead.