Once the blooms have recovered from the journey, commence deep and of good colour if possible. If placing three blooms in one vase, stage in a triangle with two blooms as the base and the third above them.

The number of blooms that can be packed in a box similar to those described will vary with the size of bloom and the petal formation, for obvious reasons. It may be possible to put only two giant decoratives, one at each end, with a few smaller blooms added to take up the spare space, whereas up to twenty small cactus may be packed in a similar box. The method of packing is the same in all cases.

The first row of blooms is laid in position in the box, with the necks resting on the rolls of paper, almost touching the end of the box, and lightly pressed against each other. Cactus blooms can usually be packed more tightly than decoratives due to the naturally incurving nature of the florets.

Then comes the problem of getting the boxes to the show. I advise you to travel with the boxes if possible. If travelling by car, go slowly, particularly over bumpy roads. If by rail, put the boxes in the guard’s van yourself, and try to persuade the guard to allow you to remain with them. Of course they can be stacked on the luggage rack, provided the train is not too full.

The angle at which the individual blooms are held should also coincide if this is possible. Ideally, each should he held at an angle of 45 as compared to the stem, but it is not always possible to select blooms with this ideal characteristic which are perfect in all other respects. I, however, with care, it is usually possible to arrange the blooms in such a fashion that all are held at the same apparent angle, despite differing in actuality.

Examine each bloom as you take it out of the box for damage, then remove the bottom inch of the stem under water to ensure that water is taken up quickly and easily. Incidentally if the blooms have been out of water for some hours they may be very limp, and may take a couple of hours or even more to regain turgidity, so remember this when starting your journey and allow ample time for recovery. If some blooms seem unable to take up water, try inserting the blade of a knife through a joint just below the top of the water, giving a gentle twist at the same time to open the gap. This will usually be effective, particularly if the gap is kept open by inserting a thin matchstick. Certain blooms tend to softness in the stem when dry -Edna D is a notorious example of this-and a light cane should be tied to the stem of such varieties when putting into water. This will keep the stem straight until the cells become stiff with water when it can be removed, just before leaving the hall after staging.