Design dilemma: floral fancies

Everybody loves having fresh flowers in their home, but in the UAE, they tend to die off quite quickly. On average, how long should a fresh bunch of flowers last? Is there anything that can be done to extend their shelf life and where is the best place to display them?

This depends on many different things. Firstly, it depends on the quality of the flowers you're buying. In the fresh flower industry, you have three grades of quality, and the level of quality depends on the strength of the grower. Throughout history, we have had famous growers such as David Austin, a renowned English rose breeder whose roses are usually the best quality, and known as "triple-A grade". If you purchase triple-A grade quality flowers, you can usually expect them to last anywhere between ten to 14 days. However, some botanicals can last up to four weeks and others even up to six weeks. It really depends on the variety and the type of flowers.
If you want to prolong the life of the flowers, what you have to do is change the water daily, because it will begin to carry bacteria, which eventually kills the flowers. Not only should you change the water, but you should clean the vase with bleach to make sure all of the bacteria is gone. Many people ask: "Should I put sugar in the water?" I don't recommend it. We have created a product called "Flower Food" and it has the correct amount of essential ingredients needed to prolong the life of the flowers.
Also, it is important to keep the flowers away from heat, and away from direct cold air from the air conditioning. Basically, if possible, try to keep them at room temperature.
I'd say the best place for flowers is in the living room, at the dining room table or at the entrance to your house.

Ebraheem Al Samadi, chief executive, Forever Rose, www.foreverrose.ae, @foreverroselondon
Do you have any design dilemmas? Send them to homes@thenational.ae and we will get them answered by an expert

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.

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GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Kumulus Water

Started: 2021

Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid

Based: Tunisia

Sector: Water technology

Number of staff: 22

Investment raised: $4 million

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Tips for job-seekers

Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East