Flowers from the Flower Market - # 5 - Dahlia and Helenium

This week on 'Flowers from the Flower Market' - I'm featuring some spectacular looking Dahlias. In the bunch are also Heleniums and Alchemilla mollis flowers.

Dahlias are such an amazing cut flower - they might not last that long but while they are at their best - they are spectacular.

I found these stunning Dahlias at my local farmer's market - at my favourite flower stall - Forever Green Flower Company. An organic flower farm run by the lovely Cel Robertson and her husband Robert.  

What is interesting about these Dahlias is the combination of speckles and lines on the yellow petals. 

As a background to the Dahlias are a whole bunch of Heleniums. A great cut flower and loved by bees and other insects.The dark copper red colour of the Heleniums are picked up in the speckles and lines on the Dahlias. 

Around the edges are some Alchemilla mollis flowers - added as a little finishing touch of frothy green.

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 cool water and leave in a cool place over night or at least a few hours before making the final arrangement.

Arrange the big Dahlia flower heads at slightly different heights in the front - with the shortest one just above the edge of the vase. Arrange the darker Heleniums as a background and the Alchemilla at either side along the edges.

I have used a very neutral vase - a chunky off-white vase from the 1930's and as a background a vintage grain sack from my grandfathers old country store in Sweden.

A lovely combination of late summer flowers that would look great anywhere in the house.   

Have an Amazing Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~ 

Ingrid

Flowers from the Flower Market - # 3 - Bluebells and Cow Parsley

I was very pleased to see that a brand new flower stall had joined my local farmers' market. So this time my 'Flowers from the Flower Market' is from Forever Green Flower Company - run by the lovely Cel Robertson and her husband Robert.
Their farm is based in Norfolk and they grow their own flowers and sell seasonal hand-tied bouquets and posies.

I loved the combination of English bluebells and cow parsley and bought three bunches.

Their flowers were very popular - they sold all but four of their bouquets on their first day at the market. A great start for Cel and Robert and for British grown flowers and I'm pleased to say that I was one of their first costumers!

While I was conditioning the flowers I separated the bluebells and the cow parsley - as I wanted to make a few different arrangements. 

In the first one I put all the bluebells in an old vintage jug from Sweden. It has little blue bell-shaped flowers on the side. The fabric is by Lotta Jansdotter.
   

I love the frothiness and simplicity of cow parsley and put all the stems in an opaque bulb vase - in my second arrangement. 

I wanted to keep everything almost white and very simple - so placing a few small vintage glass bottles with the flowers - on a little stool worked out well.

In the last arrangement - I combined all the bluebells and the cow parsley - using again the big jug and this time - wanting to make more of a statement - I placed the jug on a selection of blue and white china plates and finishing it off with a blue and white floral fabric.

Have a Wonderful Floral Wednesday!

See you later in the week!

xoxo Ingrid

Flowers from the Flower Market - # 2 - Mixed Tulips

Here is another instalment of the monthly mini series of Flowers from the Flower Market.

It will be featuring a plant or flower that caught my eye at the flower market.

I will show two or three very simple ways of using, arranging or displaying the flower.

I spotted some mixed coloured bunches of tulips. I never buy already mixed bunches - as I like to pick and choose myself - but I really liked most of the colours - and the ones I was not sure about - I saw as a challenge!

I started off putting the tulips in fifteen small clear glass bottles - all different sizes and heights. I cut the stems to fit the different bottles and put the taller ones in the back and the really little ones towards the front - and spaced evenly apart. I mostly put just one stem in each bottle but sometimes two - twenty tulip stems in all.

Then something inspired me to put all the little bottles in a basket - tightly packed together to give a more contained feel. I think it worked out very well and again the bottles were graded from tall in the back to the short ones in the front.

Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

See you later in the week!

xoxo Ingrid

Flowers from the Flower Market - # 1 - Anemones

Anemones loosely arranged in a vintage milk bottle

I'm starting a brand new mini series here on Of Spring and Summer - and it's called 'Flowers from the Flower Market'.

It will be featuring a plant or flower that caught my eye at the flower market.

I will show two or three very simple ways of using, arranging or displaying the flowers.

Anemone flower heads floating in water using a blue and white floral bowl

A bunch of Anemones in a Swedish retro tea pot

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Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

See you later in the week!

xoxo Ingrid

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