Tiny Blooms - # 9 - Pink Primula

This series of blog posts - called 'Tiny Blooms - are about small arrangements. Small - might be the size of the container or it could be the size of the flowers or the amount of stems in each container. It will also be that the arrangement is minimal both in presentation and that it's quick and easy to do. Apart from that there are no other strict rules - I'm allowing myself a lot of creative freedom!

I love making these tiny flower arrangements - because they are so much fun to do. I always keep an eye out for what's growing in the garden and what's available at the garden centre or what I can find at the farmers' market. 

I'm always looking for my next 'Tiny Blooms' flowers.

As the Primula is the 'Houseplant of the Month' now in February - I thought I would try using it as a cut flower.

You can find more information about the houseplants here.

I had a question last week asking me if Primula and Primrose were the same flower and the answer to that is yes it is. Primula is the Latin or botanical name and the common name is Primrose. There are many different primroses - both the wild ones found in nature and there are also many cultivated ones sold in nurseries and garden centres.

I simply cut about 20 little stems from the plants I had. Try to cut as low down as possible to get long stems.

Start off by placing the shorter stems around the edge of the container - letting them rest on the edge and put the longer ones in the middle - you then end up with a nice dome shaped little arrangement. 

As a vase I used a vintage cream ware container - it has a nice and neutral colour - so perfect for giving all the attention to the little flowers.

A welcome splash of colour on this dark and rainy day in February! 

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

I'll see you later in the week with another 
'FLOWERS by ingrid and titti'

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid 

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

Tiny Blooms - # 1 - Ornamental Cabbage

I'm starting another blog series or column - that I'm calling 'Tiny Blooms' and it will be about small arrangements. Small or tiny might be the size of the container or it could be the size of the flowers or the amount of stems in each container. It will also be that the arrangement is minimal both in presentation and that it's quick and easy to do. Apart from that there are no other strict rules - I'm allowing myself some creative freedom here!

In this the first 'Tiny Blooms' - I'm diving straight in and almost breaking some of the rules. 

I'm using some rather long-stemmed ornamental cabbage - you should have seen them before I got hold of them, they were twice as tall - BUT there are only three of them.

I have also reduced the flower head taking off the greener outer leaves and just leaving the really stunningly colourful ones in the centre. I also love the amazing colour on the stems and wanted to show part of them.

So after conditioning the flowers - I reduced the heads by taking off a lot of the lower leaves - I trimmed the stems so that they are in proportion to the container - and in this case allowing for some of the beautiful stems to show - rather then having the flower heads rest on the edge of the container - as you probably normally would do.

I tried to tie some purple raffia around the stems - to hold the three stems together - but in the end decided that it didn't work - the heads looked too squashed together - instead I just let the three stems lean to one side. I didn't want a stiff arrangement and as I said before I wanted to show the stems. 

I changed from purple raffia to black twine and tied some around the neck of the cream ware container - just with a double knot and leaving the ends to casually hang down. 

Voilà - a seasonal, quick and easy arrangement - using some colourful 'tiny blooms'.

  Have a Lovely Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid 

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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 26 - Ornamental Cabbage and Chrysanthemums

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring Ornamental Cabbage and four different Chrysanthemums.

I love the ornamental cabbages that you can find at this time of year and I wanted to use some of the green ones and combine them with white and green Chrysanthemums. I wanted to make three small, low arrangement using some old jars leaving the green and white to be the dominant colours. 

You'll need:

- 3 stems of Ornamental Cabbage - in this case the variegated green kind

- an assorted selection of white and green Chrysanthemums

- 3 neutral coloured jars - the ones I'm using are vintage cream coloured jars, but they could also be glass jam jars

- some brown wrapping paper, baking parchment and some hessian fabric

- a handful of clothing pegs and some natural twine

For conditioning the flowers - you'll also need:

- florists snippers or scissors

- a florist bucket

  

As always - condition the flowers by removing any leaves that would end up below the water line in the vase. Cut the stems at an angle - to increase water absorption. Put in a clean container with tepid water and leave in a cool place over night or at least a few hours before making the final arrangement.

You need to cut all the stems quite short as the jars are not very tall. Place one cabbage in each jar - the lower leaves should rest on the edge of the jar. If you are able to find more than one kind of Chrysanthemum - put two or three in each jar and mix them up - so that each jar is a bit different 

I tide some natural coloured twine around the neck of the jar and just made a simple double knot - leaving the long ends to trail down the side. 

I added a few textured but neutral coloured pieces of paper and fabric - for the whole arrangement to sit on. A piece of hessian also called burlap - with frayed edges.

Add extra texture with some brown wrapping paper, a few sheets of baking parchment and some clothing pegs.

Use the arrangement down the middle of a dining table - on a side or coffee table - together or separately.

This arrangement definitely says autumn by using ornamental cabbage and Chrysanthemums - being two classic autumn flowers - but it's also has a light and airy feel to it.  

Have a lovely Floral Friday and a Happy Weekend!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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