A Bunch for the Weekend - # 105 - Two Different Carnations

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring two very different carnations - they are long lasting and good value for money. 

Here is a little "statement" that I add - to briefly explain my thinking behind these particular posts:

"It's always a pleasure and lots of fun to buy a bunch of flowers for the weekend and in this series of blog posts, called 'A Bunch for the Weekend, I will show you how you can make quick and easy flower arrangements for your home. 

Buy the flowers where it's convenient and easy for you whether that is from a flower stall, farmers' market, the supermarket or a florist. 

Always try to buy seasonal flowers - they will last longer and they will be a lot cheaper.

Make sure you condition the flowers as soon as you get home. Remove any foliage that will end up below the waterline in the vase. Trim the ends of the stems at an angle and put in fresh water as soon as possible."

The combination of the two words 'carnations' and 'supermarket' doesn't sound too good - does it?

I'm of the opinion that most flowers are beautiful and I also question the belief that all flowers from a supermarket are 'bad' flowers.   

Well, how bad can they be? I have to admit that not all mixed bunches have good combinations of flowers in them. But flowers are only really bad if they have been neglected and are ready for the compost heap.

Supermarket flowers are often quite fresh and have 'best before' dates on the packaging. Yes, they often come from far away - Africa or South America and a lot of people question that fact and are keen on buying locally grown flowers instead.   

Carnations or Dianthus as they are also called and the smaller type of carnations are called spray carnations with several flowers on each stem.

They are very long lasting - can last for up to three weeks if well looked after.

I bought two different coloured carnations - two bunches of each. One deep red and one off-white with speckles and coloured edgings in the same colour as the solid coloured one. 

I used an off-white charity store vase, a few simple tealight holders and some fun baker's twine in different colours. 

I have chosen to just simply mix the two colours in quite a big neutral vase and I have kept the stems as long as possible to achieve a little bit of height.

I wanted these simple flowers to be centre stage - so I have kept everything around them very simple apart from the black and red baker's twine.

Always look out for simple flowers weather they are from the supermarket or from a farmers' market.

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous and floral weekend!

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I will be back on Sunday morning with another 'Florets - a new floral quote by someone passionate about flowers. 

I'm looking forward to seeing you back here then.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Styling, photography and text © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]

[Flowers: Carnations/Dianthus in two different colours. Flowers from a local supermarket in North West London.]

[Vase/Container: A vintage off-white vase with interesting geometric pattern on the sides. Found it in a local charity store and bought for very little money.]

[Other props: From stylist's own prop collection.]

*****

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P. S. If you are looking for more floral inspiration you can go over and have a look at my Pinterest boards. I now have just over 12 000 followers and around 200 boards all relating to flowers, flower styling and flower arranging. There are boards on individual flowers and boards showing how to arrange flowers. Other boards show different ways of using vases and containers. Simply click on the link below and it will take you straight there.

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Creative with Flowers - # 28 - White Amaryllis

This week on 'Creative with Flowers' - I'm featuring some gorgeous white Amaryllis. It's such a perfect flower for this time of year. Easy to look after - you just need to know a few little tricks and all will be well!

This series of blog posts - called 'Creative with Flowers' - are about using flowers in new and creative ways. It could be about how the flowers are combined - maybe in a little bit of an unusual way. It might be the choice of vase - maybe not a vase at all but a container that could be anything from jugs, bottles, jars, tins or teapots - vintage or new it doesn't matter. 

As always my arrangements will be quick and easy - and there will always be lots and lots of colour!

Amaryllis must be the perfect flower - easy to condition, there are no leaves to remove, the flowers don't open up all at the same time, they last for a long time and you just need a few stems as each stem has several flowers - so it makes a big impact.

This particular white Amaryllis has some green colouration inside the flowers fading to white. So I have added a few muted green vintage bottles and bowls. 

At this time of year I crave candles and I will always light some in the evenings.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when you use Amaryllis as a cut flower. 

If you are making a tall arrangement put a thin bamboo stick up the stem to prevent the stems from breaking. The flower heads become very heavy and if there is no support the stems can break.

If you are making a short arrangement where the stems are supported by the side of the vase there is no need to do this.

Another advise you see is to fill the hollow stems with water. Simply turn the flower upside down, fill with water, plug the opening with some cotton wool , keep your thumb over the opening and quickly place in the vase. 

You also need to put a rubber band around the bottom of the stems to prevent the stems curling up. Floral tape also works well. Remember that the tape or the rubber band might be visible through a clear glass vase so you might want to use some other type of vase or container. 

I always cut the bottom of the stems straight across with a sharp knife on a cutting board - not at an angle. As the bottom of the flower stems tend to curl up - it will look much neater with a straight cut and easier to keep the rubber band or tape in place.  

Another thing I also do is that I remove the anthers filled with pollen as soon as a bud has opened up. This is to prevent the pollen falling on tablecloths and clothing. 

Trim off any faded flowers and enjoy the remaining flower heads.

In this arrangement I have only used three stems but each one has four flowers so altogether I have twelve  flower heads - I call that good value for money!

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral Wednesday!

Thanks you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer'. I will be back later in the week with more floral delights. I'll see you then.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Styling, photography and text © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]

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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 78 - Anemones

It's always a pleasure and lots of fun to buy a bunch of flowers for the weekend and this series of blog posts, called 'A Bunch for The Weekend, will show you how you can make quick and easy flower arrangements for your home. 

Buy the flowers where it's convenient and easy for you whether that is from a flower stall, farmers' market, the supermarket or a florist. 

Always try to buy seasonal flowers - they will be a lot cheaper.

Make sure you condition the flowers as soon as you get home. Remove any foliage that will end up below the waterline in the vase. Trim the ends of the stems at an angle and put in fresh water as soon as possible.  

This week, on 'A Bunch for the Weekend', I'm featuring some hot pink Anemones. As a vase I'm using a vintage apothecary jar - that normally comes with a stopper. This one has a large enough neck to comfortably fit a handful of 10-15 stems.
  

Around the neck of the jar I have tied a few strands of black and white baker's twine. It picks up the dark and very beautiful centre of the Anemones.

Anemones can be quite delicate so they should be handled with care. They have a hollow hairy stem and should be placed in shallow water. In deep water they have a tendency to rot.

On a little white ceramic plate I have placed a mix of black vintage glass buttons, a pair of black clip-on earrings and a mini belt buckle. They are all from the Victorian era when black jewellery was very popular.   

I love Anemones with their almost black button centre and their frilly petal collar, They can be a little challenging to use as they continue to grow in the vase and the stems tend to bend. But it's well worth it as they come in so many gorgeous colours and they last much longer than you think!  

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous and floral Friday!

I'll be be back on Sunday with another 'Florets' - a quote from a passionate flower lover.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

P. S. Did you know that you can subscribe to receive a notification via email whenever I have a new blog post. Just fill in your email address at the top of my blog on the right.

You can also follow me on:

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