Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Gott Nytt År!

I would like to wish everybody a creative and inspiring 2014!

I also like to thank all of you who has visited my blog and all of you who has made kind, supportive, fun and encouraging comments - I have loved reading them all - thank you so much.

Many floral hugs for the new year!

See you soon.

xoxo Ingrid

[Styling and photography: © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

FLOWERS by ingrid & titti - White Flowers for the New Year

Hi, Titti and I are back with our second - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti. This time we thought it would be nice to do a table arrangement for New Year's Eve. 

We both agreed that white flowers would be a nice idea after all the bright colours of Christmas. I found some white Hyacinths and some white tulips at my local flower stall. I then added a few long sprigs of dark green rosemary from my garden - a lovely contrast both in colour and texture.

I used two different sizes of vintage apothecary jars and a vintage fish paste jar. The common denominator is that they are all clear glass - that way you can see the lovely flower stems and they will also reflect the candle light. 

The three vases sit on a vintage table mirror - a clever way of making it look like there are twice as many flowers - as well as obviously reflect even more of the candle light. 

Titti and I also wanted to add a second little floral arrangement for the table. I did a mini bouquet to add to the napkin ring. 

I used only foliage plants for the napkin - Buxus or boxwood that has little dark green leaves, as a contrast I used the light green variegated Pittosporum tenuifolia and for a little bit of scent some rosemary - these are all from my garden. I also added some long leaved also dark green Danae racemosa from the flower stall.

I made some napkin rings using a striped ribbon and simply tucked the little bouquet under the ribbon. 

I have also added a little bit of lace tape around the votive candle holders - the candle light looks very pretty through the white lace.      

Here is a link to the first FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - that we did before Christmas.

Here is a link to Titti's blog - HWIT BLOGG - so you can have a look at what floral creations she has come up with.

Have A Wonderful Floral Day!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid

[Ribbon from Jane Means.]
[Votive candle holders: Marimekko.] 

[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Florets - Floral Quote # 44 by Paula Pryke

"Using Moss. In winter I find myself using moss in far larger quantities than at any other time of the year, both as a base and as part of the design. For the flower arranger there are several important types of moss. The clump-forming bun moss or looser flatter carpet moss are great for covering bulbs or mechanics in arrangements. Sometimes we use decorative green bun moss as part of the design, as its deep green velvety texture adds depth to arrangements."

~ Paula Pryke ~

[Paula Pryke: British, London based florist, founder of Paula Pryke Flower Shop and School; and author of fifteen books.]

[Quote: From Flowers Every Day by Paula Pryke.]

[Flowers and moss: White waxflowers and carpet moss.]

[Vase: Off-white bulb vase and white plate for the moss.]

[Vintage props: Psalm books and gold baubles.]

[Other props: Black and white fabric with snowflakes, tea-lights with washi tape and black and gold twine around vase.]

[Styling and photography: © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Have A Wonderful Floral Sunday!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid

Floral Media # 10 Last Minute Christmas Inspiration

Stylish wreathes for your front door - Erin Boyle from Gardenista - took a walk around Brooklyn in New York and found some interesting and unusual stuff. It also looks like everybody has a black front door!

The British gardener, TV presenter and author Sarah Raven creates a white and silver table decorations scheme that sparkles in the candle light. 

Some more wreaths with bright red rose hips - they are quite wild but beautiful - by Kendra Wilson at Gardenista.

How about making a mini Christmas tree for your window sill? Minna Mercke Schmidt from Blomsterverkstad - shows you how to make one.

Christmas can be many colours - Claus Dalby has waved his magic wand and used some unusual but very beautiful colours. 

I love Linda Lomelino's work - and I have featured her before in this post - here she has made a Saffron Cinnamon Wreath - and taken some stunning photographs.

Photographs: 1. © Erin Boyle, 2. © Kendra Wilson, 3. © Minna Mercke Schmidt, 4. © Claus Dalby, 5. © Linda Lomelino 

Wishing You A Very Happy Floral Christmas!

See you soon again!

xoxo Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote # 43 by Shane Connolly

"Cyclamen are incredibly popular winter houseplants. They deserve to be as they are so easy to grow and have a broad colour range. Large trays of flowery cyclamen plants seem irresistible, but a few lonely pots seldom look as good when you get them home. Then I discovered a new way of enjoying them: I harvest the flowers and use them for cut arrangements instead. They last very well; the plant keeps producing flowers on the windowsill out of sight; and I can have little vases to enjoy around the house. Somehow these small but intense clusters of flowers capture the enticing vibrancy of the potted version en masse."

~ Shane Connolly ~

[Shane Connolly: Florist and event designer, he designed the flowers for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011, author of A Year in Flowers, Table Flowers and The Language of Flowers.]
[Quote: From A Year in Flowers.]
[Flowers: White Cyclamens with some white heather in the background.]
[Container: Vintage cream coloured wash bowl.]
[Other Props: Vintage French louvre doors.]
[Styling and photography: Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Have A Wonderful Floral Day!

See you soon.

xoxo Ingrid

FLOWERS by ingrid x titti - Christmas!

Welcome to the first FLOWERS by ingrid and titti.

In my introduction to our collaboration last week I talked about that both Titti and I are Swedish - but I live in the middle of London and Titti lives on this beautiful island called Öland in the Baltic Sea on the East Coast of Sweden. 

Titti and I found each other through the blogging world - we both love working with flowers, we are both photographers and we are both very excited about our new collaboration.

I also introduced you to Titti's blog HWIT BLOGG that she has been writing since 2010 and here is her introduction to me and my blog.

The new column will have a different theme each time; this first one is Christmas and we chose to do two different arrangements.

The first arrangement is very much about colour and dramatic contrasts. I have simply used several branches of Ilex verticillata - a particular kind of holly that produces bright red berries on bare stems in the winter. The two containers I have used as vases are - a large clear glass vintage apothecary jar and a new red miniature bud vase.

To add to the festive holiday mood I have used a fabric with red dots, black and white baker's twine, some red and silver baubles in a Marimekko bowl and three traditional Danish felt Christmas tree decorations on a red ribbon.  

Round red berries against a fabric with almost the same size red dots makes a fun and interesting composition.

The second arrangement is more about using natural materials. I made a very primitive wreath from dried Clematis cuttings; I have also used moss, pine cones and dried orange slices.

Some other lovely props that I have used are some white honeycomb paper pompoms and for a touch of copper - a Swedish antique pot filled with pine cones.

I have to admit that I cheated when it comes to my little tulip arrangement. It looks like I have planted some tulips in a terracotta pot - but it is in fact three cut tulip flowers that sits in a small container of water inside the pot. I finished it off by adding some green moss around the flowers. 

Here is a link to Titti's - HWIT BLOGG - so you can go and have a look at what she has done. 

I hope you will enjoy our first FLOWERS by ingrid x titti.

Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid

Floral Media: Ten More Ways to Create a Green Christmas

Create a simple window-box that lasts all winter using tiny pine trees. Yet another post by the brilliant Erin Boyle who you usually find on Gardenista.

If you haven't come across Gardenista before and you are even vaguely interested in gardens, garden design, plants and flowers, it's a must! It's absolutely brilliant blog with new posts throughout the day, great to look at, fun and interesting content; and an amazing source for anything garden related.

Make a simple holiday wreath out of willow and dogwood branches. Start with making a basic frame and then add some eucalyptus branches. Very beautiful in all it's simplicity - I would be tempted to keep it up for the rest of the year. This one is from the Free People BLDG 25 Blog. 

Why not plant up a basket with winter flowering plants - like Minna Mercke Schmidt has done here. Easy, seasonal and it will last all winter.

Some more festive green decorations by Erin Boyle. I think this is very sweet and so easy to make. Big is not always better!

Here is a simple and stylish way of wrapping presents - Patricia from All Seasons blog has personalised wrapping paper - this one has the name of the blog on it then she has used simple twine, wooden tags and some ivy berries. 

Here I'm going with a bit of whimsy! What about a making a skirt out of pine branches - maybe not to wear - only for some decorative fun! Kate from Kate's Creative Space has created something out of very basic materials.

Christmas is Claus Dalby's favourite time of year and he makes some very festive decorations filled with candles and lots of sparkles - to light up those long dark nights in Scandinavia.

This DIY Alternative Christmas tree is also from Free People BLDG 25 Blog. They have used bits of nature collected from outside along with some other fun things.

Over on my Pinterest I have a board called 'Branches and Trees for Christmas'. There are nearly 300 images and they are all 'green'. I love Pinterest and I think it's the most amazing source for inspiration. Please, take a look and tell me what you think! 

I hope you have enjoyed my second post with inspiration for creating a Green Christmas. You can find the first one here.

Have a Wonderful Inspirational 'Green Christmas' Day!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid

[Photography: 1. © Claus Dalby, 2. © Free People BLDG 25, 3. © Minna Mercke Schmidt, 4. © Claus Dalby.]

Florets - Floral Quote by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo

Chrysanthemum - pompom, quill, spider, and spoon are just a few of the fascinating forms of the chrysanthemum flower. A symbol of longevity and happiness, this regal cousin of the dahlia was the emblem imperial Japan for hundreds of years. The flowers' petal-packed heads come in various sizes and shapes, and their sturdy stems allow the sometimes heavy-headed mums to stand tall on their own.

~ Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo ~

[Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo: founders of the San Francisco based floral shop Studio Choo and authors of the book The Flower Recipe Book.]

[Quote: from the book The Flower Recipe Book.]

[Flowers: White Chrysanthemums.]

[Vase: recycled Bonne Maman jam jar.]

[Styling and photography: © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Have a Happy Floral Sunday!

See you soon again!

xoxo Ingrid

Introducing a new collaboration with HWIT BLOGG

I'm very happy to announce a new collaboration with my Swedish blog friend Titti Malmberg. Titti writes HWIT BLOGG - a blog full of beautiful photography, she also writes about flowers, interiors, travel and includes images of her interesting collection of vintage.

Titti is a talented photographer and stylist and just like me - loves and adores working with flowers. She lives on an island in the Baltic called Öland - that is connected to Sweden by a very long bridge. 

Titti runs her own small company and takes on commissions as a freelance photographer for small businesses and private clients. She also works for a variety of interior and gardening magazines.

Titti and I are planning to work together creating floral arrangements and bouquets - that we will post on our blogs. We are both Swedish - but she lives on a beautiful island in Sweden and I live in London - a big hectic city. We both have our roots in Scandinavian aesthetics but we also have had influences from other directions along the way.

Apart from her blog you can also find Titti on: Facebook, Flickr and Instagram.

I very much hope that you'll find our collaboration interesting and inspiring. We will call it FLOWERS by titti & ingrid.

Have a Happy Floral Day!

See you soon again!

xoxo Ingrid 

[All images © Titti Malmberg Photography.]

Floral Media: Ten Ways to Create a Green Christmas

Some of us are dreaming of a White Christmas - but others might be dreaming of a green one.

Here are a ten inspirational ways to create a greener Christmas.


10 Beautiful Styles for a Green Christmas from The Style Files. These images are some of my favourite images this Christmas season. I just love how they have used natural plant material to decorate for Christmas.

Here are some quite wild and beautiful wreaths that is not just for Christmas. Winter Wreaths for Christmas from Windflower House.

Holiday Decor for Small Spaces by Erin Boyle at Gardenista. Not all decorations has to be big here are a few ideas for miniature decorations.

How to pick The Perfect Christmas Tree by Amanda Gutterman at Gardenista. Some of us take a long time to pick out our tree so here is a little guide to help you.

Linda Lomelino from Call Me Cupcake lives and works in Sweden. She bakes, cooks and makes ice cream and have already written two cookbooks. Here she shares her recipe for a soft Gingerbread Cake and she had decorated the cake in a festive Christmas way.

How to make Botanical Ice Lanterns by Erin Boyle at Gardenista. Fun to make and pretty to look at - but you have to live somewhere very cold. 

A sweet little green bulb arrangement from Minna Mercke Schmidt at Blomsterverkstad. Minna is brilliant at using plant materials that she has in her garden and makes beautiful arrangements for the table.

My favourite garden guru and publisher Claus Dalby in Denmark knows how to do light up a garden in grand style.

How to make eco-friendly Fire Starters by Erin Boyle at Gardenista. Give away as presents or use when you make your own fires this Christmas.

The last one is a video where Alexa Hotz, the Managing Editor of Remodelista, shows how to make a very simple garland. 

I hope you have enjoyed my Green Christmas post and have found some new inspiration.

Have a Lovely Floral Wednesday!

xoxo Ingrid

[Photography: 1. © Erin Boyle, 2. © Linda Lomelino, 3. © Alexa Hotz.]

Florets - Floral Quote by Malin Hidesäter

"The time leading up to Christmas, before everything gets stressful, is lovely. I buy wreaths and decorate the entire house with flowers, not least hyacinths, for their scent is a must in December. Of course, it's lovely to have Christmas baskets and potted hyacinths but cut flowers can bring just as much Christmas spirit into the home. Why not release the traditional flowers like amaryllis and hyacinths from their pots and bulbs and use them in exciting different ways?"

~ Malin Hidesäter ~

[Malin Hidesäter - Swedish florist, flower expert, TV presenter and author of Flower Power.]

[Quote: from Flower Power by Malin Hidesäter and Anna Skoog.]

[Flowers: Pink Hyacinths.]

[Foliage: Eucalyptus branches.]

[Vase: Cast metal container with names of flowers around the top of vase.]

[Other props: Grey and white fabric, French linen sheet and painted wooden board.]
[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Have A Wonderful Floral Sunday!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid

Charity Tea Party hosted by Rachel de Thame

Last week I attended a lovely charity tea party organised by the Dorset based ethical tea company Clipper Teas. 
It was hosted by the Gardeners World and Chelsea Flower Show presenter Rachel de Thame at Clifton Nurseries in London's Little Venice. 

All the proceeds went to Contact the Elderly - a charity that organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for the elderly.

Clifton Nurseries was all ready for Christmas and filled with fabulous Christmas wreaths, decorations and Christmas trees for sale.

The hostess, Rachel de Thame all ready to receive her guests. Rachel and I go back fifteen years when we both trained together at The English Gardening School based at The Chelsea Physic Garden.

The table was set with a very pretty floral Wedgwood range called Wild Strawberry - it's hand decorated with finely drawn leaves, flowers and succulent red strawberries.

The table was also decorated with red mini Poinsettias, green trailing ivy and rustic iron-work lanterns with candles.  

Clipper Teas provided a selection of their organic teas - all in beautifully designed packaging.

We also enjoyed a selection of finger sandwiches, delicious mini quiches, pink strawberry macaroons and a few other tasty bites.

After tea we were treated to a demonstration where Rachel showed us how to create a container with winter interest.

In the centre of a very large pot she placed a Skimmia 'Rubella', at the moment covered in red flower buds and surrounded it with cyclamens and white primroses as well as a few layers of bulbs that will be ready to flower in the early spring.

After the pot planting Rachel took us on her personal tour of Clifton Nurseries pointing out the many winter flowering plants and evergreen shrubs with interesting leaves both in colour and shape.

A really enjoyable event for a superb cause hosted by the always lovely Rachel.

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

See you soon again!

xoxo Ingrid

    

Floral Media: Gatherings Magazine - The White Issue 2013 - is now out!

The Editor in Chief of Gatherings Magazine, Heather Spriggs Thompson introducing the latest issue.

 ********* 

Dear friends,

Our Winter White Issue is now available! We released our beloved White Issue early this year as a holiday edition to inspire your cooking, crafting, gifting, and decorating this season. You will find fabulous articles inspired by Scandinavian traditions including Clarice Fox-Hughes’ New Nordic Cuisine, Dutch stylist, Louise de Miranda’s tips on setting the holiday table and a Scandinavian inspired cross-stitch project designed by Annetta Bosakova.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did putting it together. As our gift to you we have reduced the cover prices of both the digital and printed editions. Just click below to order!

$14.95 for print

&

$3.95 for digital 

1 Year Subscription- $60 

Gatherings makes the perfect gift! And now we offer a 1 year subscription!!

From our home to yours we wish you peace and joy this season.

The Gatherings Team

***********

[Images: 1/2/3 © Ingrid Henningsson, 4/5 © Cristina Colli, 6 © Louise de Miranda, 7 © Maaike van Koert.]

***********

I really hope you like the magazine!

Have a Happy Floral Day!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote by Nikki Tibbles

"Those featured here all have a seductive, alluring quality - calla lilies, hyacinths, French tulips, arum lilies - each having a compulsion of their own. Uncluttered by leaves, they carry heavy, sensual flower heads, bowed over by the weight of their own petals. In a setting where surfaces are polished, mirrored, highly reflective, such flowers have a potent, submerging quality, with the heady, magical ability to drown the senses. Suspended in see-through vases, long-limbed stems cross and uncross; leaves unfurl in the heat and light."

~ Nikki Tibbles ~

[Nikki Tibbles: London based florist, Creative Director at the flower shop Wild At Heart and author of the book Wild At Heart.]

[Quote: from Wild At Heart by Nikki Tibbles.]

[Flowers: Five pink hyacinths.]

[Vase: Hand-blown glass vase.]

[Vintage: French linen sheet and purple glass beads.]

[Other props: Three mini bud vases and grey paper honeycomb pompom.]
[Styling and photography: © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid