This month in our series on what really goes on inside a home, we fill the house with vases and jugs of cut flowers. Turn to page 114 of the May issue for more of Clare Gogerty's Home Truths: Flowers.

Stylist and blogger Emily Quinton is a whizz on Instagram and posts flower pictures daily. This is how she does it:

1. Choose flowers carefully – not all photograph well. The more you photograph, the more you get to know them. My favourites are stocks, ranunculus, peonies, anemones, tulips and roses.

2. Photograph in natural light. Flowers do not look good under artificial lights. If shooting outside, early morning and late afternoon/early evening are best. If shooting indoors, move near a window to get the best light.

3. Use different vessels and backgrounds to make the most of one bunch of flowers.

4. Choose lighter coloured flowers. They are easier to capture than dark ones. Dark red roses are my nemesis!

5. When flowers are nearly over, cut off the stems and lay down to make flat pictures. Gather plates, linen and notebooks as props. To make flowers last longer, pop in the fridge or in a cool room. Some flowers don’t last like this but peonies, roses and ranunculus will.

Follow @emilyquinton, on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest