Care tips for Advent wreaths & candles

How well your wreath or arrangement survives the Advent period depends largely on the conifer selected.

• Taxus, chamaecyparis, cypress, noble fir, pine and box hold up particularly well. Especially attractive in colour are the dark green mountain pine, blue-green cupressus arizonica and the yellow chamaecyparis 'Plumosa Aurea'.
• It's best to buy wreaths or arrangements where the conifer is embedded in floral foam that has been soaked in water. If you water these carefully once or twice a week, your decorative element will see you through the whole of December.

• Please note: when candles burn down, they should be changed in good time for safety reasons.
• It is also recommended to place wreaths and arrangements on a glass, metal or ceramic plate. This not only looks attractive, but also protects the furniture and, importantly, is a good fire guard.

Advent wreaths are available from Fleurop and its partner stores from around mid-November until Christmas.

When it comes to candles, quality is everything. Here are our tips:

• Fleurop florists use high-quality candles, most of them produced in Switzerland. These are often a little more expensive, but they burn for longer and more evenly without dripping or smoking. Good examples of Swiss candles are those supplied by Schulthess or Weizenkorn.

• The difference between these and many products from other countries lies in the quality of the basic material. Swiss companies purchase high-quality, fully refined paraffin wax with a low oil content. In addition, they seek out reliable suppliers and remain loyal to them for decades. The advantage is that the wax supplier and the candle manufacturer then develop a basis of trust that they can build on.
• Another important difference lies in the choice of the right wick for the paraffin wax.

However, even high-quality candles like to be well treated. Read our tips on this subject below.

Candles are popular because they are atmospheric, contemplative, romantic, classy and simply beautiful. Here are some tips:

• Treat yourself to a high-quality candle (see our tips «making the right choice» below).
• Place candles on a fire-proof, horizontal base that can catch any flowing wax. This is a good fire guard and also looks decorative. Alternatively, you can of course place a candle in a lamp or a glass vase. Some birdcage sand sprinkled into it beforehand allows any flowing wax to be absorbed so that you don't face the laborious task of scraping it out.

• Always trim back the wick of a new candle in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Then always re-trim it to this length later on.
• You will undoubtedly be aware that you should not burn candles close to flammable objects.
• Every time you light a candle, let it burn until the wax melts right to the edge. Otherwise, a crater will form. If a rim of wax develops, trim it off with a knife while the wax is still soft.
• Burning candles are sensitive and cannot tolerate draughts.

• When you extinguish the candle, dip the wick briefly into the wax and carefully position it upright again immediately. This prevents unpleasant smoke and ensures that the wick does not dry out, is less brittle and can be lighted again quickly.
• You should always remove foreign objects such as fragments of wicks, matches, etc.
• Be sure to leave enough space between candles if you are burning several alongside one another.
• To keep your candles looking beautiful, store them in a cool, dry, dark place.

By the way: you can straighten bent candles by dipping them in water at a good hand-hot temperature until the wax is easy to bend. Then carefully straighten them and dip them immediately in cold water.