Creative with Flowers - # 32 - In the Pink Zone!

The beautiful tulips just keep coming - and this time it's all about being in the pink zone. It's a very gentle and soft pink - the tulip petals look like they have been stroked with a brush of pink paint.

This series of blog posts - called 'Creative with Flowers' - are about using flowers in new and 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 always my arrangements will be quick and easy - and there will always be lots and lots of colour!

I had bought the cherry blossoms the day before - but was still thinking about what to combine them with. I thought some pink tulips would be perfect - so the next day I went out to find some. 

I went to my usual flower stall - that is about 5 minutes from my house and asked if they had any pink tulips - as I could not see any. The guy went off for a while and this is what he came back with and I knew I had to have some.

Cherry blossoms can be a bit tricky - the buds and petals can easily fall off if you knock the branches. There is no guarantee that the buds will even open up especially if they are too tight. They are not long lived. They should have two cuts - one at an angle and a second lengthwise up the stem - with a pair of secateurs. Some people also say it's a good idea to put the branches in warm water. That is suppose to help the flowers to open up.

The large main arrangement is in a white vintage jar from Sweden. It's bought at a 'loppis' - the equivalent to the American flea market or the UK car boot sale. 

The very small rag rug in pink and white is also found at a Swedish loppis.

As I probably have said many times - I love jars with writing on them and here are two more with partially worn labels - that I think just adds charm and patina.

The large tailor's scissors was passed on to me by my mother. An old pair that she used while I was growing up.

It's still cold, dark and wet here in London - but combinations like these pink tulips and cherry blossoms gives us hope that spring will soon be here. Let's stay in the pink zone until then!  

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral Wednesday!

Thanks you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer'. I will be back on Friday with another 'A Bunch for the Weekend'. 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 and an email will come right into your inbox.

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/

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 23 - Pink Chrysanthemums

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring some stunning bright pink Chrysanthemums.

Chrysanthemums flower from late summer to about midwinter - but you can also buy them most of the year from florists and big flower markets. 

I love these small chrysanthemums - they are only about 3-4 cm across. This pink one has a very dark centre and the colour fades to a pale pink at the edges.  

I've made two arrangements - one large one in a ridged clear glass vase and a small one in a small, also ridged glass vase in dark pink. 

You'll need:

- 10-15 long stems of Chrysanthemums in a bright colour

- a clear glass vase with a narrow neck

- 9 short stems of Chrysanthemums

- a small vase in a similar shape to the big one

- a few fun things in matching colour - in this case a small rag weaving, a piece of fabric, some ribbons, a few spools of cotton and a vintage pair of tailor's scissors.

- a small platter or plate in matching colour

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.

Remove any leaves that will end up inside the vase it looks better with just clear stems and no leaves showing through the glass. With a narrow neck you will also be able to fit more stems into the vase - without any leaves.

I wanted this arrangement to look really full and just have a mass of flowers tightly packed together. So this is an arrangement that you'll need to make in your hand - almost like a handheld arrangement - but not quite - you'll not be putting the stems in a spiral. 

Hold the flowers in one hand and add with the other. Arrange the stems at different heights and fill in where there are empty spaces to make a really full and slightly dome shaped arrangement. 

The stems will end up different lengths at the bottom - so when you are finished putting the arrangement together  - put the vase at the end of the table or counter and estimate at what height you need to cut the stems. Leave a little bit of stem showing with a few leaves at the top - it will make the arrangement look in proportion to the vase. Then cut the stems all the same length and put into the vase. 

I have finish the arrangement off by putting the big vase on the floral platter and placed it on the pink and white rag rug weaving.   

Just for fun I have also added a few fabrics, ribbons and spools of cotton around a pair of vintage tailor's scissors - all in matching bright pink colours. 

The ribbons are all from Jane Means ribbon collection. I'm one of Jane's Ribbon Bloggers - we feature her ribbons in some of our blog posts.   

Have a Wonderful Floral Weekend!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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