Creative with Flowers - # 21 - Pink Dahlias and Eucalyptus

I'm still enjoying the last few flowers with summer colours - like these pale pink Dahlias with a white and soft yellow centre. Aren't they gorgeous? 

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

I love bringing flowers home from the farmer's markets and my local dependable flower stall - sometimes I will also venture to one of the nearby supermarkets.

My routine is always to condition the flowers as soon as I get home - even before I do anything else!

So make sure to 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 have used three little bottles from IKEA as my vases for the Dahlias and Eucalyptus. I found the set at a local charity store.

They have quite a narrow neck so perfect for just a few stems.

I have used one Dahlia stem and one or two stems of the Eucalyptus. That was really all that would fit into the narrow neck - but I have then repeated the same arrangement in all three vases. Keeping the three containers together as a little group works well and has more impact than just a single vase on it's own.

As my little side arrangement for a few short Eucalyptus - I used a very small preserving jar.

I have also used a few props: a small place mat from Sweden in a rag rug technique; a mini watering can with a ribbon from Jane Means' Ribbon Collection; and some Victorian iron works from a local reclamation centre. 

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer - I will be back on Friday with another FLOWERS by ingrid and titti. Hope to see you then. 

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Styling, photography and text © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
[Gorgeous Flowers and foliage from: Forever Green Flower Company.]
[Ribbon from: Jane Means' Ribbon Collection.]

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Florets - Floral Quote - # 111 - by Carly Cylinder

"If I had to give just one piece of advice, it would be this: Change the water in the vase at least every couple days. And if not every couple days, then at least once during the lifetime of the arrangement. Flowers thrive on fresh water. To refresh the water in a small-to-medium arrangement, place the vase under the faucet in your kitchen sink and run the water so that it flushes out the old water. Flushing out your vase under the faucet refreshes the water while keeping your arrangement intact. For taller vases, carefully tilt the arrangement to pour out the old water, and refresh with new water."

~ Carly Cylinder ~  

[Carly Cylinder: American, florist,owner and creative director of FlourLA,Inc., a Los Angeles and New York based flower design studio. Her work has been featured on many blogs and websites and she is the author of the book The Flower Chef.]

[Quote from: The Flower Chef by Carly Cylinder (2016).]

[Flowers: Blue and white hyacinths.]

[Container: Round zinc container.]

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

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

I'll be back next week with more floral delights from Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 42 - Blue and White Hyacinths

Today on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring some blue and white hyacinths in a zinc container.

Hyacinths are spectacular at the moment they are still going strong and a real pleasure to use as cut flowers.

You'll need:

- 9 stems of blue hyacinths

- 5 stems of white hyacinths

- a low wide container in a neutral colour - in this case I have used a zinc container

- a piece of ornate Victorian iron work

- a large round blue and white plate

- a vintage blanket in dark colours 

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.

These stems come from hyacinth bulbs that I grew myself in pots and I just cut the stems and left all the leaves with the bulbs. When the leaves has died down I will plant them in my garden. Hopefully they will come back next year and not be decimated by slugs and snails or dug up by squirrels. 

You need to cut the stems quite short - but long enough to stand above the edge of the container - so hold the flower against the side of the container and measure.

I have packed the 14 stems in quite tightly - that way they all support each other.

Arrange the stems in a pleasing pattern according to colour and size of the flower heads. 

Experiment with the colours you surround the arrangement with - greys and blues all look lovely with the blue and white flowers. 

I have also added a fun little detail by putting a strip of grey washi tape along the edge of the zinc tub - its very easy to remove from any surface when you don't want it any more.

You can also do this with a smaller vase or container if you don't want to use as many stems as I have done. You can't go wrong here!!

Have a Happy Floral Friday and Enjoy Your Weekend!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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