A Bunch for the Weekend - # 45 - Little Pretty Spring Tulips

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring an unusual little tulips. I think they are Tulipa 'Carnaval de Nice' - but I'm not absolutely sure. These are quite small and usually 'Carnaval de Nice' look the same but are twice the size. So it is an educated guess! 

You'll need:

- 10 stems of tulips

- 10 small twigs of Pittosporum foliage

- two clear glass containers - I have used a recycled jar and a small low glass bowl

- a small amount of raffia

- green and white baker's twine, three light green vintage jugs and some black beads

For conditioning the flowers - you'll also need:

- a pair of florists scissors

- a florist bucket filled with fresh water

Condition the flowers by removing any leaves that would end up below the water line in the vase. This is to reduce any growth of bacteria from deteriorating leaves. Also remove any broken or bruised leaves.

Cut the stems at an angle - this is to increase water absorption.  

Put in a clean container with fresh water and leave in a cool, dark place over night or at least for a few hours, to let the flowers absorb the maximum of water, before making the final arrangement.

You might have to re-cut the stems while making the final arrangement to suit the size of the vase or container and to get the right proportions.

I made a very small spiralled handtied bouquet and tied some natural raffia around the stems to hold the bouquet together.

Here is a link to a video where florists Mark Welford and Stephen Wicks show you how to do a handtied bunch.

Then there is always Sarah Raven's way of doing things a little bit different - here is a link to a post where I featured her video.

It does take a little bit of practice to do a spiralled handtied - but flowers looks just as good just simply arranged in a vase - so whatever way you do it the end-result will be good.

  

Bright spring double tulips and fresh green variegated spring foliage - maybe not your most traditional or expected combination. 

The two tulips in the little bowl are two flowers that broke while making the bouquet and I didn't have the heart to just throw them away - so I made a separate little arrangement on the side. 

On the side is a roll of bakers' green and white twine and in the back are three pastel green vintage jugs - colours that are picked up in the foliage and the black beads echoes the black stamens in the tulips.

I chose to use clear glass for containers as the flowers and the foliage had enough wild variegated colours and I liked seeing the spiralled stems through the glass.

This is very much a spring bouquet and I would love to hear what you think. Love it or maybe not?   

Have a Happy Floral Saturday and Enjoy Your Weekend!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and Photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer]