Creative Ways with Flowers - # 2 - Colourful Tulips, Ranunculus and Anemones

I love colour - well, almost all colours - I particularly like all the pinks and purples and the blues and lilacs. I often keep a very tight colour palette - that I find easier to work with and I still find it a challenge to combine strong colours from different ends of the spectrum.    

Here I have worked on combining some deep purple and bright orange double tulips - with bright orange ranunculus as well as some extremely dark anemones - they are so dark they look almost black.

All the flowers have interesting textures and colour variation in the petals. I like the fluffy foliage on the anemones and the little green pointy tips of the tulip leaves. It all helps to give a lot of interest to the arrangement.

I have cut the stems very short. All the flowers sit just above the edge of the vase - giving it a low and compact shape - perfect for a dining table, coffee table or side table.

I have used my old favourite vase - the Savoy vase designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. This one is a mini one just 10 cm tall - but perfect for small, short and sweet little flower arrangements. 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a lovely floral Wednesday!

Me and Titti from HWIT BLOGG will be back on Friday with another FLOWERS - all about early white spring flowers for your table.

Ingrid

~ xoxo ~

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

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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 63 - Hydrangea, Tulips and Eucalyptus

'A Bunch for the Weekend' - this week is a combination of three plants - a dark maroon Hydrangea, even darker Tulips and as a contrast Eucalyptus foliage.

HOW TO:

You'll need:

-  5 stems of Hydrangea - with large firm flower heads.

- 20 stems of Tulips - a generous amount to give some impact and contrast in texture next to the Hydrangea.

- 7 stems of Eucalyptus foliage.

- a large but fairly low vase - in this case I have used an Alvar Aalto Savoy vase in white.

- a few props in matching colours - in this case they are all picking up the colours in the flowers - a vintage kilim rug, a few pieces of ethnic jewellery, some beads in a little bowl from the 1960's and a vintage piggy bank from my grandparents village in the south of Sweden.

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 Hydrangea - cut the stems so that the flower heads sit just above the edge of the vase. 

- Do the tulips next and leave them as long as possible and let them flop over the Hydrangea and over the edge of the vase. 

- Lastly do the Eucalyptus foliage - put in 5-7 stems all around the arrangement as a nice and subtle contrast both in colour and texture.

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

Once the Tulips has come to the end of their life throw them away or put them on the compost heap if you have one. 

Keep the Hydrangea; put them in a vase with just a little bit of water - let the water evaporate and the flower heads should dry nicely and you have a second dry flower arrangement for the price of one! I do this with all my Hydrangeas!!

Enjoy the Hydrangea as long as they are available and tulip season is starting here in the UK and just overlapping with the Hydrangea which is an interesting combination. Large leaved Eucalyptus is always around and one of the best foliage plants - great for colour contrast and gives lots of interesting texture. 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

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

~ 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

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Vases, Bottles and Containers

The theme for this weeks FLOWERS is - 'Vases, Bottles and Containers'.

A few years ago I used to sell vintage on eBay - a big part of what I sold was exactly what our theme is about this week - vases, bottles and other containers. I had a lot of fun and my little business was very successful - but after a few years I ran out of steam - there are a lot of very early 5 am starts going on buying trips to antique-markets and car-boot sales in the UK and loppis in Sweden -  a fair amount of driving and it's also very competitive - everybody wants the best bits. 

My point of telling you this is to say that I still have a lot of vases, bottles and containers - that I just couldn't part with!

So here is are a few bits and pieces from my little collection....... 

I love how the colours in this Hydrangea matches the colours in the blanket. Perfect autumn colours and don't you just want to wrap yourself up in the blanket and sit in front of the fire?

I have a bit of a weakness for blue bottles and my little collection often sits in a window where they reflect light into the room.

The large vase with ridges is new and I bought it in Sweden last summer. I was with my friend and she bought the same vase. We both love it as it holds the flowers very well - the neck is wide enough to hold a handful of large stems perfectly.

The large clear glass container with straight sides in the background is one of my favourites. My daughter bought it for me when she went to an antique market earlier this year.

The smaller vases are a mix of ink bottles and apothecary bottles in beautiful blue and turquoise-blue colours. All great for holding just one small stem - cut very short.

I have always enjoyed visiting antique markets or charity stores and I still find interesting types of containers that I will use as vases - for very little money.

If you intend to start your own little collection of vases and containers - flea-markets, car-boot sales, loppis and charity stores are a good beginning. 

Many small vases or bottles with single stems - arranged on a tray looks beautiful.

With larger containers you can either fill them with lots of stems or have just one stem leaning to one side.

There are so many different ways to use vases, bottles and containers. Why not go to your nearest charity store and pick up a few in different sizes and start experimenting making your own arrangements.   

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

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

I will be back on Sunday with another Florets - floral quotes by a 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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 54 - Pink Peonies and Alchemilla mollis

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I'm featuring some fabulous huge pink peonies and bright lime-green Alchemilla mollis flowers.

You'll need:

- 5 peony stems in a bright pink colour

- 20 stems of Alchemilla mollis - these are long-stemmed from my local street flower seller 

- a medium sized vase in a neutral colour - here I have used a white vase from a charity store

- two small vases in the same colour as the big vase or in a contrasting colour - here I have chosen on of each

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 an 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.

It is now warm enough for peonies to come into bloom in the garden and they are everywhere to buy at the flower stalls.

If you want them for a special occasion - buy the flowers a few days before the special day. The buds will take a couple of days to open up.

I created the bunch in a traditional hand-tied way by holding the flowers in my left hand and adding the flowers with my right - turning the bunch around while I'm adding the flowers. With some luck you'll end up with a round dome-shaped bouquet! 

To hold the bunch together I tied the stems with some raffia - then I measured the bouquet against the vase and trimmed the ends - and placed the flowers in the vase. 

While making the handtied bunch I was left with quite a few short little Alchemilla stems. I put them all in a black mini vase where they will last for about a week.

Go out and buy some Peonies - use them on their own or mix with other flowers. 

Enjoy your flower arranging!

Have a Great Floral Friday and a Happy Weekend!

I will see you next week with more Do-It-Yourself flowers from 'Of Spring and Summer'.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and Photography © Ingrid Henningsson - Of Spring and Summer]

You can also find me on:
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ofspringsummer/

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

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

Tiny Blooms - # 2 - Pink Chrysanthemums

I'm back with 'Tiny Blooms' - my column that is 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 allow myself a lot of creative freedom!

This arrangement is really all about being quick and easy! I have used five multi-stemmed little pink Chrysanthemums and a small to medium sized vase with quite a narrow neck.

The vase is made by Hornsea Pottery in 1963. They were known as Slipware vases. They have a painted grey band which is hand decorated with zig-zags in white slip clay.

While conditioning the flowers - I stripped off all the leaves and some of the lower little stems. When ready to make the final arrangement I measured the stems next to the vase and made the final cut. You might have to cut off a few more of the lower stems depending on how many there are towards the bottom of the stem. By removing leaves and lower stems I was able to fit more stems into the vase - creating a nicely domed arrangement.   

Multi-stemmed flowers take up more space in the vase and the individual flowers are at different heights. This means that when you make the arrangement you might have to compromise a little bit. For example in a narrow necked vase it's hard to to have both a full, tightly packed arrangement and having the flowers rest on the edge of the vase as you might normally do.   

So, what I ended up with is a nicely domed arrangement, the flower stems in proportion to the height of the narrow-necked vase - with a little bit of stem showing above the rim of the vase.

But - despite all that - it was still quick and easy!!  

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid 

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 74 - by Willow Crossley

"I am neither a florist nor an interior designer. I am just flower mad with a serious passion for decorating. Garden

centres and flower shops are two of my favourite places in the world - I feel calm the moment I walk in. The scent of the flowers, the greenery, the wholesome wooden tools, the exotic orchids... Throw an antique store into the mix and I'm in decorating heaven."

~ Willow Crossley ~ 

[Willow Crossley: British designer, journalist, blogger, on-line shop owner and author of The Art of Handmade Living and Inspire, The Art of Living with Nature.]

[Quote from: Inspire,The Art of Living with Nature by Willow Crossley.]

[Flowers: Pink Dahlias and Alchemilla mollis flowers.]

[Vases: Vintage metal container and a new Danish black little vase called Lyngby vase by Hilfling Design.

[Vintage props: Vintage knitted kitchen towel.]

[Other props: Painters canvases.]

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

Have a Very Happy Floral Sunday!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 19 - Red and Orange Dahlia

There are so many wonderful Dahlias around at the moment - so this will be a week of Dahlias. It's that time of year and I'm not complaining - I love Dahlias. I wished they would last longer in the vase - but you cant't have everything.

So here we go again with some more - so on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' this week I'm featuring some striking red and orange Dahlias.

I chose a clear glass container to use as a vase. It's a vintage pickling jar that I bought at a 'loppis' in Sweden for not a lot of money. 'Loppis is the Swedish equivalent to flea-market or car-boot sale.

I love the dark colour of the stems on these Dahlias - they are such an interesting contrast to the red and orange. And I also love how you can see the stems criss-crossing through the clear glass - making a pattern all on their own. 

I find that you often never know if a Dahlia bud is going to open up or not. The tighter the bud the less likely it is to open up and develop into a flower. Sometimes they open just a little bit - like the ones in the picture - it's all very unpredictable. But mostly you'll get the advice that once cut the Dahlia buds will not open.

Buds are decorative in their own right and there is no need to discard them completely. It all depends what look you are after. A mass of just big Dahlia heads of flowers or an arrangement dotted with buds - breaking up the sea of colour. Buds or no buds - both are worth trying.

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.

Have a Wonderful Floral Friday!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid 

Flowers from the Flower Market - # 5 - Dahlia and Helenium

This week on 'Flowers from the Flower Market' - I'm featuring some spectacular looking Dahlias. In the bunch are also Heleniums and Alchemilla mollis flowers.

Dahlias are such an amazing cut flower - they might not last that long but while they are at their best - they are spectacular.

I found these stunning Dahlias at my local farmer's market - at my favourite flower stall - Forever Green Flower Company. An organic flower farm run by the lovely Cel Robertson and her husband Robert.  

What is interesting about these Dahlias is the combination of speckles and lines on the yellow petals. 

As a background to the Dahlias are a whole bunch of Heleniums. A great cut flower and loved by bees and other insects.The dark copper red colour of the Heleniums are picked up in the speckles and lines on the Dahlias. 

Around the edges are some Alchemilla mollis flowers - added as a little finishing touch of frothy green.

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 cool water and leave in a cool place over night or at least a few hours before making the final arrangement.

Arrange the big Dahlia flower heads at slightly different heights in the front - with the shortest one just above the edge of the vase. Arrange the darker Heleniums as a background and the Alchemilla at either side along the edges.

I have used a very neutral vase - a chunky off-white vase from the 1930's and as a background a vintage grain sack from my grandfathers old country store in Sweden.

A lovely combination of late summer flowers that would look great anywhere in the house.   

Have an Amazing Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~ 

Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote - # 72 - by Jane Packer

"Scabiosa were once my very favourite flower - I just couldn't believe the detail of each fragile flowerhead. This was back at the very beginning of my career when there wasn't as big a choice of flowers as there is now. Even now, when I see the first scabiosa of the season I can't help but smile. I am reminded of my past love for them and I always take a bunch home where I can admire them all day"

~ Jane Packer ~

[Jane Packer: (1959-2011) British florist and founder of Jane Packer Flowers and flower school, author of thirteen books.]

[Quote from: At Home with Flowers by Jane Packer.]

[Flowers: Pink Scabiosa/Pincushion flowers.]

[Vase: Swedish vintage aluminium coffee pot.]

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

I'm back from my summer break and will be posting some more lovely 'Florets' - floral quotes by florists, garden writers and other flower lovers. I hope you'll enjoy them!

Wishing You a Wonderful Floral Sunday!

xoxo Ingrid

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 17 - Echinops

I'm back after the summer with my weekly post 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - and this week I'm featuring Echinops - a fabulous and fun flower.

Echinops is a perennial found in hot, gravelly slopes and dry grassland. Its native to Central and Southern Europe, Asia, India and some parts of Africa.

The plant has round, stiff flowers in a metallic purple blue colour. They are very long-lasting both in the boarder and in the vase.

The common name for them is 'Globe thistle' and the name Echinops is from the Greek 'echinos' which means hedgehog.

  

They are also good for cutting and drying and it's usually available during late summer and early autumn.

For this very quick and easy arrangement you'll need:

- 7 Echinops flower heads

- a round-shaped vase with a narrow neck

To condition the flowers remove all leaves - you want a very clean and lean look. Cut the stems at an angle to maximize the water uptake. Put in a clean container - in a cool place over night or at least a few hours - before making the final arrangement.

For the final arrangement - cut the stems at slightly different heights and arrange them so that you can appreciate each individual flower. 

For a vase I have used a contemporary vase originally sold by Habitat - but this one I found in a local charity store.

I thought it was a perfect match both in shape and colour. Round just like the globular flowers and in a similar purple blue colour.

The vase also has a lace pattern under the glaze giving it an interesting texture. 

I have used the Echinops on their own - but they are a great addition to mixed arrangements as well - with their interesting shape and texture.

Have a Wonderful Floral Friday!

I hope you have had or are still having a great summer. Here in Northern Europe we have had glorious weather - hot and sunny days and long, warm and balmy evenings. Just the perfect weather for spending days on the beach, in the garden or the park.

xoxo Ingrid