This time on 'FLOWERS by ingrid and titti' - we are doing 'Late Summer Colour'.
I can hear you say: "What is she talking about - all I can see is white and green - not much colour there!"
Well, I went out with the best intentions - imagining coming back home with brightly coloured Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, Asters and Hydrangeas.
It was not to be - at one of my local Wednesday farmers' market - all the Dahlias were already gone when I got there - even though I was really early.
At the next stop - a flower stall a few streets away - I didn't I see any Dahlias or Chrysanthemums and when I asked - I was told that they don't stock them because nobody buys them. And the Hydrangea was so expensive my jaw dropped open.
It's a crazy world out there - all I was asking for was seasonal flowers!!
But I was not going to give up so easily - I quickly had to re-think my strategy and as there was plenty of white flowers to be had - I went back and could happily pick and choose from both places - all kinds of different white flowers.
I picked out some lovely white medium-sized Chrysanthemums, some white snapdragons also called Antirrhinum - that the bees love, and the last ones were some stock flowers that are also called Matthiola.
I also bought some lovely snowberries - these white berries has quickly become a favourite with a lot of designers and stylists - and I'm not surprised as they are just lovely. They also come with stunning pink berries - you can use them with or without leaves - mixed in with other flowers or by themselves.
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.
I added a few little green vases - among them this amazing hand-blown vase - that is more like a piece of art - a beauty with or without flowers.
I arranged the flowers directly in the vase - I wanted the shorter flowers to sit just above the edge of the container. It's a very large vintage preserving jar that I picked up in Sweden at a 'loppis'.
I then cut the stems longer in the centre of the arrangement to make a nice domed shape.
When I work with flowers I use both a pair of snippers and a sturdy pair of scissors. It's often quite handy to have both. I also often wear a thin pair of garden gloves - just to give my hands some protection.
Here is a little close-up of the three white flowers and the white snowberries.
My collaborator on FLOWERS - Titti Malmberg over on her blog HWIT BLOGG - is also posting about late summer flowers - so pop over and see what she is up to.
Have a Lovely Floral Day!
~ xoxo ~
Ingrid
[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for FLOWERS and Of Spring and Summer.]
