A Bunch for the Weekend - # 109 - Mauve Sweet Peas

It's time to do a little bit of planning for the weekend and to buy some flowers is ALWAYS a good idea! 

Hello, that is why I do this blog series called 'A Bunch for the Weekend'.......

Here is a little "statement" that I add - to briefly explain my thinking behind these particular posts:

"It's always a pleasure and lots of fun to buy a bunch of flowers for the weekend and in this series of blog posts, called 'A Bunch for the Weekend', I will show you how you can make quick and easy flower arrangements for your home. 

Buy the flowers where it's convenient, easy and most affordable for you whether that is from a flower stall, farmers' market, the supermarket or a florist. 

Always try to buy seasonal flowers - they will last longer and they will be a lot cheaper.

Make sure you condition the flowers as soon as you get home. Remove any foliage that will end up below the waterline in the vase. Trim the ends of the stems at an angle and put in fresh water as soon as possible."

I always feel that there is something very special about sweet peas. 

The ruffled shape of the petals, the almost endless range of colours and their intense sweet scent - are some of the reasons for these flowers being so popular. 

I have simply put twenty stems of of sweet peas all the same colour in a vintage French Pernod glass bottle. I found the bottle at a car boot sale in Suffolk a couple of years ago. I love the texture and the shape of the bottle.

All I had to do before putting them in the glass container was to trim the stems - so very quick and easy!  

I borrowed three sea urchin shells from my daughter. They match the colour of the flower petals perfectly. The very thin muslin adds some interesting texture to the image.

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

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

I'm looking forward to seeing you back here then.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Flowers: Pale mauve sweet peas from my favourite local street flower stall in North West London.]

[Vase/Container: A vintage French cafe Pernod glass bottle - bought at a car boot sale in Suffolk.]

[Other props: A vintage basket, a cup made by the Swedish potter Lotta Zerrander, three sea urchin shells and some muslin fabric - all from stylist's own prop collection.]

[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 now have just over 12 000 followers and around 200 boards all relating to flowers, flower styling and flower arranging. There are boards on individual flowers and boards showing how to arrange flowers. 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/

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 100 - From the Archives

In April 2014 I started a series of weekly blog posts called "A Bunch for the Weekend" and they quickly became very popular among my blog visitors. 

So today to celebrate my #100 posts in this series - I decided to dig deep in the archives and show the first ten arrangements that I posted back in 2014.

# 1

The thought was to inspire and show how to do simple and easy arrangements. Show how to create a quick and uncomplicated arrangement that anybody could do themselves to enjoy over the weekend. 

# 2

This is the little "statement" that I add to the post - briefly explaining my thinking behind the posts:

"It's always a pleasure and lots of fun to buy a bunch of flowers for the weekend and this series of blog posts, called 'A Bunch for the Weekend, I will show you how you can make quick and easy flower arrangements for your home. 

Buy the flowers where it's convenient and easy for you whether that is from a flower stall, farmers' market, the supermarket or a florist. 

Always try to buy seasonal flowers - they will last longer and they will be a lot cheaper.

Make sure you condition the flowers as soon as you get home. Remove any foliage that will end up below the waterline in the vase. Trim the ends of the stems at an angle and put in fresh water as soon as possible."

# 3

# 4

# 5

# 6

# 7

# 8

# 9

# 10

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous and floral 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. I'll see you back here 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 now have just over 12 000 followers and around 200 boards all relating to flowers, flower 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/

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 79 - Pink Sweet Peas

It's always a pleasure and lots of fun to buy a bunch of flowers for the weekend and this series of blog posts, called 'A Bunch for The Weekend, will show you how you can make quick and easy flower arrangements for your home. 

Buy the flowers where it's convenient and easy for you whether that is from a flower stall, farmers' market, the supermarket or a florist. 

Always try to buy seasonal flowers - they will be a lot cheaper.

Make sure you condition the flowers as soon as you get home. Remove any foliage that will end up below the waterline in the vase. Trim the ends of the stems at an angle and put in fresh water as soon as possible.
  

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I'm featuring some beautiful sweet peas. This one is pink but with a few different tones on the petals. It has dark frilly edges and the colours vary from off-white to areas that are blushed with dark pink.

The flower stall where I buy most of my flowers is selling lots of sweet peas in several different colours right now.

Like the peony, sweet peas is one of our all time favourites. These sweetly scented old-fashioned cottage flower are perfect both on their own or mixed with other flowers.

They are available in almost every colour under the sun apart from yellow. 

The flowers you buy from florists or flower stalls have longish stems with no foliage or tendrils. Garden sweet peas will have shorter stems with a few leaves and tendrils. Leave them on to add some interesting textures. 

The botanical or Latin name for sweet pea is Lathyrus odoratus. Lathyrus is from the Greek lathyros meaning pea or pulse and odoratus means fragrant.

Flower arrangements don't need to be big to look effective. It can be like here a simple vintage jar with just one type of flower in one colour or a small posy on your desk to give pleasure while working away on your computer.

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' and I'll be back on Monday with another 'Tiny Blooms'.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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:

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

Flowers and Ribbons - # 6 - Clematis and Sweet Peas

This series of blog posts is called 'Flowers and Ribbons' and is a collaboration I do with the ribbon designer and wrapping expert Jane Means. We are an international team of bloggers who use Jane's ribbons in some of our posts while Jane provides us with her ribbons.

I wanted to show how you in different ways can combine ribbons with flowers and make the whole arrangement that little bit extra special.

The flowers that I have used here are purple clematis and two different sweet peas both similar in colour as well as picking up the purple in the clematis. 

I have used ribbons in two different ways. The first one is just simply tied around the container of the main flower arrangement. In this case a grey metal container and the ribbon I have used is a stitched grosgrain in a dark grey colour. The ribbon is almost black so it still show some contrast with the grey colour of the container. 

The second way is around the stems of a mini posy of sweet peas. I have used a narrower stitched grosgrain ribbon but it's in the same grey colour. I also added a purple luggage tag to the ribbon.

The little glasses, with the floral motif, that I'm using as vases are from Anthropologie. 

The clematis that you can buy from the flower stalls and florist shops is different to the climbing clematis that you might grow in your garden. It's cultivated to grow long straight stems that is easily mixed with other flowers. If you can find this kind of clematis - go for it - it's well worth it and they keep on flowering and I love the bell-shaped flowers.

It's always fun to be able to use flowers that are a little bit unusual - using clematis and sweet peas together has worked out to be a great combination. 

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

I'll be back on Friday with more floral delights from Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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 follow me on:

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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.

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Creative with Flowers - # 9 - Guelder Rose and Sweet Peas

This series of blog posts - called 'Creative with Flowers' - are about using flowers in creative ways. It could be about how the flowers are combined - maybe in a little bit of an unusual way. It might be the choice of vase - maybe not a vase at all but a container that could be anything from jugs, bottles, jars, tins or teapots - vintage or new it doesn't matter. 

As usual my arrangements will be quick and easy - and there will always be lots and lots of colour!

Guelder rose is a very popular ornamental deciduous shrub with mop-shaped heads of delicate, tiny flowers on a woody stem. The botanical name is Viburnum opulus 'Roseum'. The colour of the flowers is a beautifully delicate creamy to lime green.

Sweet peas are simply irresistible and has become a favourite spring and summer flower. It comes in a wide range of colours - white, cream, pale blue, lilac, purple, pale pink, cerise pink, burgundy and multicoloured. 

Handle the flowers carefully - the petals mark easily, and are sensitive to ethylene gas - so don't place them next to a fruit bowl. 

I made two round flower arrangements for each flower and used two white but very different containers. An unglazed vintage little jug for the sweet peas giving a romantic feel. For the guelder I used a contemporary also unglazed vase by the Swedish artist Bertil Vallien.

I find the the two colours together very exciting - one dark and moody, yet pretty and romantic and the other cool, fluffy and light.  

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

Titti Malmberg from HWIT BLOGG and I will be be back on Friday with another 'FLOWERS by ingrid and titti' - and a new theme with lots of flowers.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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.

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Florets - Floral Quote - # 104 - by Tricia Guild

"This book is not about fancy arrangements. You won't find instructions for using florist's wire, or for poking the stems into blocks of oasis. It's about the intense joy and pleasure one can derive from the simple, yet thoughtful arrangement of flowers; the way even a vase of humble narcissi can transform a room, create a mood, revive a flagging spirit. above all, it's a book looking at flowers, and about picking and placing them so their strength and fragile beauty can truly be seen. Flowers have the power to make us look at life anew."

~ Tricia Guild ~

[Tricia Guild OBE: British interioer designer, founder and Creative Director of Designers Guild; and author of fifteen books.]

[Quote from: Flowers by Tricia Guild (1998).]

[Flower: Light blue sweet peas.]

[Vase: Vintage clear glass pickling jar.]

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

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

I'll see you again on Monday with another Floral Media - this time a great little video from The Joy of Plants with some inspiration on how to decorate your Easter table with flowers.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration follow me on:

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Flowers of the Month - June 2015

1 June - Floral Media - Houseplant of the Month - Peace Lily

It's the end of June and I'm back with 'Flowers of the Month' - where I'm featuring all the different flowers and floral arrangements I have posted during June.

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.

4 June - Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and Inspiration - Sweet Peas

6 June - A Bunch for the Weekend - # 55 - English Garden Rose - Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll'

10 June - Floral Media - Flower Agenda - Week 23 - 26 - Lily

13 June - A Bunch for the Weekend - # 56 - Sweet Peas and Alchemilla mollis

15 June - Floral Media - The Green Gallery - New On-line Floral Magazine

17 June - Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and  Inspiration - # 7 - Alstroemeria

19 June - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Happy Midsummer!

20 June - A Bunch for the Weekend - # 57 - Astrantia and Nectaroscordum

23 June - Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and Inspiration - # 8 - Sweet William

25 June - Floral Media - The Flower Appreciation Society Workshop and Book

27 June - A Bunch for the Weekend - # 58 - Mixed Bouquet of British Summer Flowers

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'm taking some time off during the month of July to work on our house and garden and I will be back again in August with more Do-It-Yourself flower arranging from 'Of Spring and Summer'.

Have a wonderful and relaxing summer! 

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson - Of Spring and Summer.]
[Images of 1, 4 and 6 are provided by The Flower Council of Holland.]

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