From the Archives - 3 November 2014 - Ornamental Cabbage

A blogpost from deep in the archives - posted last time also on 3 November - still just as relevant as it's seasonal and one of my favourite autumn flowers/plants.

It was also the beginning of a new and very popular blog series called 'Tiny Blooms'.  

***** 

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.] 

Flowers of the Month - December 2016

It's almost the last day of December and it's time for another round-up of what I have been up to this last month. 

In 'Flowers of the Month' I feature all the different flowers and floral arrangements that I styled, photographed and posted exclusively on my blog 'Of Spring and Summer'.

The title of the post under the image - is also a link to the post - if you would like to see it again or you missed it.

A Bunch for the Weekend - Winter Bouquet

Florets - Floral Quote by Malin Hidesäter

Creative with Flowers - Pink Tulips

A Bunch for the Weekend - Paperwhites

Florets - Floral Quote by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo

Creative with Flowers - White Amaryllis

A Bunch for the Weekend - Blue Hyacinths

Florets - Floral Quote by Hege Barnholt

Creative with Flowers - Pink Hyacinths

Happy Christmas! - Ilex Berries

Happy New Year! - Fruiting Eucalyptus 

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer - I will be back tomorrow with some end of years words. I'll see you then.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

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.

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

Pinterest:   https://www.pinterest.com/ofspringsummer/

Flowers Of the Month - October 2016

It's the last day of October and last month I decided to bring back the very popular 'Flowers of the Month' after having had a break for a while.

Here are the posts I created exclusively for Of Spring and Summer and I'm featuring all the different flowers and floral arrangements I have made and posted on my blog during the month of October.

The title of the post under the image - is also a link to the post - if you would like to see it again or you missed it.

Florets - Floral Quote by William Yeoward - Pink and Green Ornamental Cabbage

Creative with Flowers - Pink Dahlias and Eucalyptus

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Autumn Lovely Autumn 

Florets - Floral Quote by Ngoc Minh Ngo - Pink Chrysanthemums

A Bunch for the Weekend - White Pinks, Statice and Eucalyptus

Florets - Floral Quote by Jane Eastoe - Pink Roses

Creative with Flowers - Pink Hydrangea and Eucalyptus

A Bunch for the Weekend - Autumn Coloured Chrysanthemums

Florets - Floral Quote by Willow Crossley - Pink Dahlias in Cream Ware Jars

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer - I will be back later in the week with some more floral delights. Hope to see you then. 

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

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.

For more floral inspiration you can follow me on:

Pinterest:   https://www.pinterest.com/ofspringsummer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ofspringandsummer/ 

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 123 - by William Yeoward

" The main rule for arranging flowers for a table is that the display should be either above or below the eye level of people conversing across the table. The guests should be able to have direct eye contact with the person they are talking to without having to duck up and down or around the flowers.When you are using glass or crystal vases, remember that it isn't just the flower heads that are on show - you'll see the stems as well, so they should be clean, neatly cut, and placed in clear water. I always try to find flowers that are in season. Forced flowers don't last, and one of the nice things about holding a party at home is that you can have the pleasure and enjoyment of the flowers during the following days."

~ William Yeoward ~ 

[William Yeoward: British, interior designer, retailer with shops in London and New York and author of five books.

[Quote from: Perfect Tables (2006) by William Yeoward.]

[Flowers: White, pink and green ornamental cabbage.]

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

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I'll be back on Monday with another Floral Media. 

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

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.

For more floral inspiration you can follow me on:

Pinterest:   https://www.pinterest.com/ofspringsummer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ofspringandsummer/ 

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

Flowers of the Month - November 2015

1 November - Florets - Floral Quote by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo

It's the last day of November and I'm back with 'Flowers of the Month' - where I'm featuring all the different flowers and floral arrangements I have posted during the month of November. It's been quite a few blog posts this month with lots of amazing and colourful autumn flowers available. I've been able to create, style and photograph a great deal so there are quite a few blog posts to cover.

The title of the post under the image - is also a link to the post - if you would like to see it again or you missed it.

November 2 - Floral Media - Flower Agenda - Orchid

4 November - The Monthly List - November 2015

6 November - A Bunch for the Weekend - Hydrangea, Tulips and Eucalyptus 

8 November - Florets - Floral Quote by Paula Pryke

9 November - Tiny Blooms - Parrot Tulips

11 November - DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration - Red Winter Branches

13 November - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Faded Charm

15 November - Florets - Floral Quote by Hans Blomquist

16 November - Flowers and Ribbons - Napkins

18 November - Tiny Blooms - Pink Chrysanthemums

20 November - A Bunch for the Weekend - Ornamental Cabbage and Tulips

22 November - Florets - Floral Quote by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring

23 November - Floral Media - Flower Agenda - Amaryllis

25 November - DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration - Orange Tulips and Ranunculus

27 November - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Moody Hues

29 November - Florets - Floral Quote by Jane Packer

I hope you have enjoyed all the flower arrangements from the last month - as much as I have enjoyed created them. 

Have a Great Floral Day!

I will be back again at the end of December with another 'Flowers of the Month'. Before that I'm back later in the week with more floral delights from Of Spring and Summer. 

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
[Photos nr 2 and nr 14  provided by The Flower Council of Holland.]

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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 64 - Ornamental Cabbage and Tulips

'A Bunch for the Weekend' - this week is a combination of big bright Ornamental Cabbage and two very different and even brighter tulips. 

HOW TO:

You'll need:

-  5 stems of Ornamental Cabbage - with large firm and colourful flower heads.

- 30 stems of two contrasting Tulips - a generous amount to give some impact and contrast in texture next to the large and compact Ornamental Cabbages.

- a wide but fairly low vase or container - in this case I have used a vintage stainless steel milk pail.

- the only prop this time is vintage Mexican shawl that is picking up the colours in the flowers. I often use this shawl as a vibrant and colourful tablecloth. 

For conditioning the flowers - you'll also need:

- a pair of florists scissors

- a florist bucket filled with fresh water

Condition the flowers by removing any leaves that would end up below the water line in the vase. This is to reduce any growth of bacteria from deteriorating leaves. Also remove any broken or bruised leaves.

Cut the stems at a sharp angle - this is to increase water absorption.  

Put in a clean container with fresh water and leave in a cool, dark place over night or at least for a few hours, to let the flowers absorb the maximum of water, before making the final arrangement.

You might have to re-cut the stems while making the final arrangement to suit the size of the vase or container and to get the right proportions.

Method:

- Start with the large heads of Ornamental Cabbage - remove any damaged leaves and cut the stems so that the flower heads sit just above the edge of the container. 

- Then do the tulips - I have kept as many leaves as possible as I'm not adding any extra foliage. 

I wanted to keep the arrangement low and compact - so measure the tulip stems against the side of the container and cut them long enough to sit just above the large flower heads of the cabbage. 

- Change the water every 2-3 days and if possible re-cut the stems. The tulips will last for about a week - the cabbages will last much longer. 

Once the tulips have finished flowering - keep the cabbages on their own in a vase - but remember to change the water frequently - the water can become a bit smelly! 

Ornamental cabbages are still available here in the UK and you can find them in a few different colours. 

This is an arrangement that doesn't need any additional foliage - the tulip leaves provides more then plenty of greenery.

Tulip season is truly here and I'm delighted! 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

I'll be back on Sunday with 'Florets' and another floral quote from someone passionate about flowers.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

You can also find me on:

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FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Faded Charm

The theme for this weeks FLOWERS is - 'Faded Charm'. I have mixed a bunch of pale flowers with a collection of faded and charming objects.

I bet you first thought it was roses I had in the vase! Well, its ornamental cabbage in a pale cream with a faded pink center. As foliage I have used Eucalyptus which has grey-green leaves. The ornamental cabbage take center stage and all I have done is surround the flowers with a collar of foliage. 

For the flower arrangement I'm using a vintage well used pressed glass vase. It used to belong to my Swedish grandmother, my mother then had it for many years and now I have it and I use it all the time.

I found the huge water jug at a flea market here in London a few years back - it is faded and stained; has crazing all over as well as a small hole in the side and a chip at the top! Well, I still love it and I just put another container inside to hold the water when I use it for flowers. 

All the books once belonged to my father - again the covers are all worn and faded but you know they are read and well loved; they all have my fathers name and date on the inside cover which makes them that little bit more precious. 

The little cushion is new but made from old linen fabrics and I love the faded floral panel stitched onto the plain background. Interesting how the green leaves matches the green leaves on the cover of the book with the title "Norwegian Poetry".

I hope you have enjoyed my little collection of faded but charming objects - to go with the rather unusual but very pretty autumn flowers and foliage.

Please, go over to Titti's blog and have a look at how she has interpreted the theme this week. Here is the link to her blog HWIT BLOGG

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

I'm back on Sunday with another Florets - floral quotes by flower lovers.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

You can also find me on:

Instagram - https://instagram.com/ofspringandsummer/

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ofspringsummer/

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