FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Lovely Herbs

Titti and I are back, after a summer break, with another FLOWERS. This time it's all about herbs and other related things.

Herbs are such a pleasure to work with, to grow in the garden, to add to your cooking and to drink as herbal teas. 

Lavender is both lovely to grow as a plant in the garden but can also be added to both sweet and savory recipes. It can also be used dried in little sachets to scent your cupboards.  

We might not think of hops as a herb but it's used for making beer. I grow it in my garden, not for making beer, but for it being a great and very fast climber. 

My favourite is one called Humulus lupulus 'Aureus', I love saying that name, it kind of rolls off the tongue. It's also called Golden Hops - because of the colour of the leaves. Every season it grows several meters. so you need to give it lots of space. You cut it down every autumn and it then starts growing again in the spring. 

Dried flowers stems can be used for decorating, both as swags and for table decorations.

Here I have used the fresh stems and leaves as table decorations. They will wilt after a couple of hours depending how hot it is. I couldn't resist them - they are so pretty with lots of colour and texture. 

These stems doesn't have any flowers yet - they will come later. 

Vitis vinifera or grape vine is the plant that gives us wine - here represented by a bottle of wine and a small glass. 

There are a few vines that are very nice garden plants - Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' and Vitis coignetiae - both vigorous climbers with colourful leaves in the autumn and both produce grapes - but unfortunately not very palatable.

The pattern on the three vintage dinner plates is called 'Vinranka', which is Swedish for 'grapevine'. The pattern was designed by Arthur Percy, a Swedish designer. It depicts grapevine leaves in different sizes as well as grapes and was first shown in 1955. 

A few books about herbs is always handy - finding out how to grow them as well as other interesting facts. I know nowadays you can find all that on the internet - I just happen to be a big book lover. There is just something special about holding a book and flipping through the pages - reading the text and looking at beautiful photographs.

Growing culinary herbs is easy and gives a lot of pleasure - especially like here lavender temporarily in a zinc container. But as soon as I'm done with using them as props I'm going to plant them out in the garden and they will give me enjoyment for years to come.

Titti Malmberg - my Swedish based collaborator - who I work alongside on FLOWERS - also has a new post on her blog HWIT BLOGG - so please follow the link and go over and see what she has created.

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

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

~ xoxo ~ 

Ingrid

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

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FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - It's Time for Flowers!

Here is another FLOWERS from Titti Malmberg and and the theme is 'It's Time for Flowers'. Well as far as I'm concerned it's always the right time for flowers. But spring is a particularly special time of year with an explosion of stunning flowers.

I'm featuring another variation of gorgeously scented stock and sweet peas. This time in beautiful pink colours.

The stems of the flowers were very long and like made for a large and generous arrangement. So this time I used an oversized vintage pickling jar and positioned each stem at a diagonal in the container. The flower went to one side leaning on the edge of the vase and the bottom of the stem to the other side at the bottom of the jar.

I started with the more sturdy stock flowers arranging them around the edge of the container followed by the sweet peas. It's quite easy to feed the narrow sweet pea stems through the stock flowers. You need to be a little bit careful as the stems are delicate and the flowers are fragile and just space them evenly throughout the arrangement. 

As always a few little props - this time a small vase in a matching colour and some books about the very interesting fashion designer Issey Miyake.

In the background is a bright pink watering can - I might add that is has never been used in the garden! I wonder why? Maybe because it would not look nice for very long.

Don't hesitate to use the same flowers over and over again. With a little bit of creating thinking and some variation in colour and size as well as using different vases and containers - you can make the arrangements look quite different. Also think about adding some interesting props that either matches or contrasts the flowers. 

If you go over to Titti's blog you can see her interpretation of this week's theme. Here is the link to her blog. 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a lovely floral day!

Titti and I will be back in June with some more FLOWERS with new and interesting themes.

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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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ingrid.henningsson

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Welcome to the Month of May!

It's the beginning of May, one of the prettiest months of the year here in the UK. The flower stalls are full of spring flowers in every colour imaginable. 

I could'n believe my luck when I found these beautiful stocks and sweet peas in almost the same delicate light purple or mauve colour. 

The sweet pea petals are almost translucent and together with the stocks the two flowers create this kind of frothy mass of irresistible beauty. 

In my garden I grow a perennial called Polemonium 'Lambrook Mauve' and it turned out to be a perfect match with the two other flowers. The common name for it is Jacob's ladder. Its a great ground-cover that in my garden, here in London, is evergreen and the bell-shaped little flowers is a welcome sight every year. 

For this delicately coloured bouquet I have kept the background as well as all the vintage props white or off-white. I just wanted the flowers to stand out and give them center of attention.

If you go over to Titti's blog you can see her interpretation of this weeks theme. Here is the link to her blog. 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a lovely floral day!

Titti and I will be back later in May with another FLOWERS and a new theme.

You can also find me on:

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FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Floral Sweeties

Spring is in progress and we'll see more and more colour. This weeks theme for FLOWERS is called 'Floral Sweeties'. Both Titti and I love flowers and we both love colour.

This bunch of very bright tulips is like a mixed bag of colourful sweets.  In it are red, yellow, orange and purple flowers of about 5-7 of each colour.

I used an old favourite vase from Sweden in a very neutral colour. I removed any broken or bruised leaves - but left one or two leaves on each flower as I wanted it to look full and generous.

Always cut the ends as soon as you get the flowers home and put them straight in water. They are going to need a good drink after having been out of water for a while.

I made a collage of lots of colourful fabric swatches with dots and chevron patterns. My daughter found them and gave them to me a while ago. She thought I would like them and be able to use them as props and this was the perfect opportunity. The fabrics are all in bright colours just like the flowers.

I stuck the fabrics on the background with washi tape. That Japanese paper tape that was so popular a few years ago. Using this kind of tape means I can easily take the collage apart and use the fabrics again.

Working on this post made me realize how much I love colour and that they make me happy. All kinds of colours - strong, bright colours as well as more muted pastels.

I think I will remember this post as 'My Happy Post'!  

I know spring has arrived in the south of Sweden too - were Titti lives - I can't wait to see what she's going to show us this time. Here is the link to her blog. 

Have a lovely floral day!

We'll be back next month with a new theme and another 'FLOWERS'. Before that I'll see you soon.

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Blogger of the Month in Swedish Magazine Lantliv

I'm honoured and delighted to be able to tell you that Titti Malmberg and I are featured as 'Blogger of the Month' in the latest issue of the Swedish magazine Lantliv. 

Lantliv means country living and it's a great magazine that's regularly published twelve times a year. They also publish a few special editions every year - about gardening, summer living and Christmas. It has lovely features on interiors, food, gardening, fashion, beauty and travel. It's has a mix of charming country living with modern Scandinavian design. 

Every month Lantliv do a little write-up about bloggers with a picture and this month our blogs are featured.

Here is a translation of the text:

"Ingrid Henningsson lives in an Arts and Crafts house built in 1911 in London with her husband and two children. Ingrid has a background as a photographer, garden designer and teacher in horticulture. On her blog Of Spring and Summer she is styling, photographing and writing about flowers and floral styling.

Titti Malmberg lives in an old house built in 1929 on the island of Öland with her family and her old cat Sötnos. Titti is a freelance lifestyle and flower photographer and has worked for many years as a stylist. On her blogg HWIT BLOGG Titti is happily mixing flowers and vintage with beautiful images of her island.  

Together they collaborate on their blogs with a project called FLOWERS where they share inspiring ideas, tips and beautiful flowers all according to the seasons. They like to show that everyone can be creative and make arrangements themselves and that it doesn't have to be expensive or difficult - flowers should be a joy!" 

Here is a link to Titti's blog - HWIT BLOGG.

Have a Lovely and Creative Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Photography: Cover of Lantliv magazine by Anna Kern. Flowers by Titti Malmberg.] 

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Harvest Table

This time on 'FLOWERS by ingrid and titti' - the theme is Harvest Table.

My inspiration for this FLOWERS came from all the warm red, orange and yellow autumn colours that I saw at my local farmers' market and street flower sellers. I wanted to make a harvest table with a little bit of a difference. 

My pick for the day was some sunflowers - the only ones I found was yellow - even though the the burnt orange and more maroon ones are my favourite. I love the contrast between the bright yellow petals and the dark, dark brown centre - what a stunning combination. 

Next on my list was a handful of stems of Chinese lanterns - that has the tongue twister Latin name - Physalis alkekengi.

Chinese lanterns are beautiful when dried - hang them upside down - tied with a rubberband - that tightens as the stems dry out and the bunch will not fall apart. Hang them in a well ventilated, dark and dry place for a few weeks. You can then put them in a vase or container and enjoy their beauty for a long time.

The last flower/plant I choose was crabapples or Malus sylvestris as they are also called. There are many different kinds of crabapples and they come in yellow, red, light green and some are yellow and a bit orange blushed with pink - my favourite.

To decorate the table I just laid a branch straight on the table - quick and easy and I cut a few of the little apples off the bottom of the branch and scattered them around on the table - as a playful gesture.

Crabapples can be expensive to buy - but just one, two or three branches in a glass vase is very effective and stunning. If you have a tall glass vase - leave the branches as long as you can, just put a little bit of water in the bottom and leave all the apples and leaves intact at the bottom of the branches and enjoy the amazing woody stems of Malus apples through the glass vase. 

They can last for several weeks and when you are done with them the birds and squirrels will enjoy eating them in the garden. 

You can also harvest the crabapples and cook with them - you can pickle them and you can make jelly and cordial.

I also wanted to play around with other kinds of 'harvesting' or to be more precise 'collecting'. My husband has collected old classic Penguin paperbacks since 'forever' and the amazing orange colour on the spines is a perfect match with the Chinese lanterns.

Over time I have accumulated a collection of garden twines in all kinds of different colours. These brightly red and orange ones fitted right in with the Harvest Table colour scheme.

I just adore these colours - especially like on a day like today when it has incessantly been pouring with rain all day. Just looking at the colours makes me in a better mood! 

As well as putting a few stems of Chinese lanterns in a vase - I also cut off quite a few and put them in a vintage wooden bowl - adding a few green ones works well as a contrast.

Titti Malmberg - the other half of FLOWERS - is also featuring a harvest table over on her blog HWIT BLOGG - please go over to there and see what she has done.

You can see all our FLOWERS posts HERE and on Pinterest.

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~ 

Ingrid 

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

FLOWERS by ingrid & titti - Spring Bulbs

The theme this week on FLOWERS is Spring Bulbs - as many of them are starting to appear both in the garden and in the shops.

They are also one of the most welcoming signs that spring is finally on its way. 

Titti and I decide on a theme a few weeks in advance so its not always easy to predict what is going to be available and in flower. We like to go with the seasons and right now most bulbs are still in tight bud - they are still beautiful but not as colourful as I wanted them to be. 

I did find some daffodils in flower - its the little mini one called Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête' - which is one of my favourite daffodils. I love it because of its small size and the fact that it often has two flowers on the same stem. It's also one of the earliest to flower in the spring.

I replanted them in a zinc planter and covered the soil and most of the bulbs with moss just to give it a neat finish. The moss I had was leftover from Christmas - still nice and green - probably because I have kept it outside in the cold. 

I also decorated the planter with some washi tape around the top edge. 

A vintage paperback book of French poems from the charity store and my Grandfathers glasses is a nice contrast to the bright yellow little daffodils.

With my second arrangement I have to admit that I cheated. The white hyacinths are not planted in the basket - instead I bought them as cut flowers and I put them in a high and wide container. The container is well hidden in the basket and as a little decoration I added a pretty ribbon on the side and a fabric in the same colour.

When you buy hyacinths as cut flowers today at the flower market, supermarket or florist they often come with part of the bulb still attached. Try not to cut or trim the ends of the hyacinths - leaving the base of the bulb intact greatly prolongs the life of the flowers.

When you leave part of the bulb on the flower they naturally will take up a lot more space in the vase. So its not going to work if you intend to make an arrangement in a narrow necked vase - in that case you need to trim the bottom of the stems. 

The height of the vase or container will also be important to consider when you are not trimming the end of the stems. They are both top and bottom heavy - so its necessary to use a vase with high sides for support. 

Here is a link to Titti's blog - HWIT BLOGG - so you can go over and see what she has done with her Spring Bulbs.

And you can also find our previous FLOWERS - here, here, here and here.

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[Ribbon from Jane Means' ribbon collection.]

[Fabric from Sarah Hardaker's fabric collection.]

[Vintage props from 'My Prop Cupboard'.]

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

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Have a Great Floral Day!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid

FLOWERS by ingrid & titti - Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day next week so Titti and I thought we start early with some romantic inspiration on our - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - themed blog posts.

Cooking or baking will always be a special thing to do for a loved person in your life. Or cooking with your family or friends - creating a dish each - it becomes a special occasion. 

Roses can be expensive and sometimes 'less is more' - so just three red roses with a little bit of foliage in a white vintage jug - becomes the perfect simple flower arrangement. 
  

Writing a special message on a little hand printed card is always nice and of course some chocolate - in the shape of red hearts!

The first arrangement was red - so I thought my second arrangement has to be pink - another romantic colour.

I used three different pink flowers - three tulips, three Ranunculus and one hyacinth - in a little sweet vase with pink hearts and I tied a ribbon around the top.

Below is a single Ranunculus in a mini bud vase and some more chocolate hearts - this time pink to match the flowers.

Here is a link to Titti's blog - HWIT BLOGG - so you can go over and have a look at what she has done.

And you can also find our previous FLOWERS - here, here and here.

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[Red sandwich plate from Cath Kidston.]
[Ribbons by Jane Means.]
[Pink polka dot fabric by Sarah Hardaker.]
[Vase with pink hearts from Emma Bridgewater.]
[Vases and vintage props - from' My Prop Cupboard'.] 
[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer]

Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

See you back here soon!

xoxo Ingrid

FLOWERS by ingrid & titti - Tulips

I know I'm a little late - it was Tulip Day in Sweden on the 15 January and it was also National Tulip Day in Holland on the 18 January. It is the official beginning of the tulip season in both countries and the season last till the end of April.  

I love tulips and any day is tulip day for me!! I love fringed tulips, parrot tulips, single tulips, double tulips, lily flowered tulips, multi coloured tulips - almost any will do and I'm a happy bunny! 

I was excited when Titti and I decided that our theme for this our next instalment of FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - was going to be Tulips.

In the first arrangement I have used two different coloured tulips - one very pale pink and the other an almost fuchsia coloured tulip. The container is an old zink florist flower bucket that I normally use when I condition my flowers - but I liked the neutral grey against all the pink.  

I couldn't believe my luck when I was out looking for tulips I also found some waxflowers that picked up the two pink tulip colours. I used some of the waxflowers in the large arrangement and I also made three small arrangements in three mini vases. 

I added a couple of votive candle holders - it is still winter so some candle light is always nice at this time of year.  

In the other arrangement I have used the same pale pink tulips but this time mixed them with some white tulips - for a very pale pastel look. 

The vase I used is an Art Deco 1930's pale green vase with a handle - that makes it look like a jug but it is not - it would never pour very well. 

The pink and white fabric is by the Swedish designer Lotta Jansdotter - now based in Brooklyn, New York. A little light green mini glass vase picks up the green. 

Here is a link to HWIT BLOG - so you can go and have a look at Titti's lovely floral arrangements.

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Here are also links to the first two FLOWERS by ingrid and titti:

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Christmas.

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - White Flowers for New Years.

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Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid