A Bunch for the Weekend - # 110 - Soft Pink Peonies and Baby's Breath

It might be cold and hailing - but the peonies have arrived!! Gorgeous with their large multi layered frilly flower heads.  

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."

To encourage peonies to open up, hold the flowers upside down and spray with water to remove the sticky sap on the buds.

Baby's Breath or as they are also called - Gypsophila is a great 'filler' with it's frothy white little flowers.

Peonies are glamorous and come in shades of white, pink, peach and crimson. They will take a few days to open up - but its worth waiting for!

Peonies are lovely on their own in a simple vase or container. The flowers are so large and impressive they often don't need anything else - but can be mixed with for example like here the light and delicate Gypsophila. 

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I will be here on Sunday morning. It's the last of April so I'll be back with another 'Flowers of the Month'. 

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

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Flowers: Pale pink peonies and Baby's Breath from my favourite local street flower stall in North West London.]

[Vase/Container: A large clear glass pickling jar - bought at one of the many antique markets in London.]

[Other props: A vintage white painted wooden chair from Sweden, a painted plant stand and some linen 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 - # 107 - Purple Hyacinths 3 Ways

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring a ten purple Hyacinths as cut flowers - three different ways.

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 afordable 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."

Three very different containers - a Victorian blue and white floral vase, a vintage clear glass jar and a vintage white china apothecary jar.  

Three different backgrounds - conservatory French doors with small window panes and two different backdrops in off white.

Only two kinds of trays - a Victorian blue and white floral bread plate and a very worn vintage silverplated tray. 

The flowers laying on the tray and the plate are as you can see not in water. It's just me playing around and they will not stay fresh for very long - it's just a bit of fun.....!

The mini secateurs was a gift from our daughter - she thought they would work well as a prop. The handles were covered in red plastic - not a good colour when you take photographs - the eye goes straight to any red colour in an image. On her suggestion I cut it off and voila it's my favourite new prop.......!!    

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: Purple Hyacinths from my favourite local street flower stall in North West London.]

[Vase/Container: A quite big clear glass jar, a blue and white floral vase and a white apothecary jar. All bought at some of the many London antique markets.]

[Other props: Vintage small stool, French linen fabric, round vintage tray, blue and white floral bread plate and a mini pair of secateurs - 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 - # 106 - Hot Pink Anemones

This time on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I have done a super easy arrangements with hot pink Anemones - even the container is simple and easy. 

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 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."

Two bunches of dark pink Anemones gives you a substantial amount of flowers that will have some impact on any table or sideboard.

These particular ones have quite long stems, and I wanted to leave them long, so they demanded a large container. 

I did a handtied bunch - without actually tying anything around the stems. I just wanted all the stems to be parallel when you looked at them through the glass jar.

Quick, easy and lots and lots of colour!    

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 ~

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

[Flowers: Hot pink Anemones from my favourite local street flower stall in North West London.]

[Vase/Container: A quite big clear glass jar. Bought at one of the many London antique markets.]

[Other props: Linen cloth, muslin fabric and backdrop from stylist's own prop collection.]

*****

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/

Tiny Blooms - # 31 - Large Parrot Tulips

This series of blog posts - called 'Tiny Blooms' - are about small flower arrangements. Small - might be the size of the container or it could be the size of the flowers or the amount of stems. It can also be that the arrangement is minimal both in presentation and that it's simple, quick and easy to do. Apart from that there are no other strict rules - I'm allowing myself a lot of creative freedom!

I know this series of blog posts are called 'Tiny Blooms' - so why am I featuring Large Parrot Tulips. Well, if you have followed 'Tiny Blooms' - you know that it's not really always about small or tiny flowers but more about simplicity. 

The lovely Cel Robertson from Forever Green Flower Company gave this bunch of parrot tulips to me last Saturday, at our local farmers' market. She was reluctant to put them on the compost heap and asked if I could make use of them. Well, my answer was of course "Yes, please"! 

I removed the foliage, trimmed the stems and put them in a large clear glass, vintage pickling jar. What could be more simple?

I also added a bit of vintage lace, which made it almost look like a Dutch flower painting.  

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

I'll be be back on Wednesday with more floral delight from Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration follow me on:

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

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

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

Tiny Blooms - # 30 - Peony and Lilac

This series of blog posts - called 'Tiny Blooms' - are about small flower arrangements. Small - might be the size of the container or it could be the size of the flowers or the amount of stems. It can also be that the arrangement is minimal both in presentation and that it's simple, quick and easy to do. Apart from that there are no other strict rules - I'm allowing myself a lot of creative freedom!

We are now heading into a period of pure pleasure when it comes to flowers. Late spring and then quickly straight into summer - or that is often what happens here in London. There is just an abundance of stunning flowers in a range of delightful colours. 

I found some pretty pink peonies at my favourite flower stall and combined them with some deep purple lilacs from my garden. 

I made a small hand-tied posy using three peonies and three sprigs of lilac. I secured them with a rubber band and then tied a narrow light pink ribbon from Jane Means collection of ribbons around the stems - as high up as possible. 

I used a vintage laboratory clear glass jar as a vase and let the ends of the ribbon trail down the side. 

Quick, easy and absolutely seasonal - for very little money.  

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

I'll be be back on Friday with more floral delight from Of Spring and Summer and Titti Malmberg of HWIT BLOGG.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration follow me on:

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

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

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

DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration - #15 - White Amaryllis

This week my 'DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration' - is about how to make the flowers on your Amaryllis last a bit longer.

The Amaryllis usually have several flowers on each stem - that opens up one after the other - not all at the same time. As the flowers continue to open - you need to remove the old spent flowers. You can use a knife or a pair of scissors. Do it carefully - the little short individual flower stems sit very close together!

Then comes the moment when there is only one or two flowers left on each stem and the whole arrangement starts to look a bit sparse! 

What you can do is to simply cut the remaining flowers off the stem and put them in either their own individual vase, jar or container or put a few in each. 

They will last for a few more days and looks lovely grouped together on a tray or in a row on a table. The flowers are so big, that even as single flowers in their own little container on a small side-table, they will have enough impact to make an impression. 

Enjoy your flower arranging!

I will be back on Friday with another 'A Bunch for the Weekend'.

~ 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

Florets - Floral Quote by Cath Kidston

FLOWERS

"I could happily spend a fortune each week buying flowers for the house but quite often get away with buying just the cheapest of the bunch. I try to mix together a few clashing colours - say three shades of pink or a jumble of orange and pink - and simply pile them into a jug or vase. I do think they make the whole difference to making a house feel alive and lived in."

~ Cath Kidston ~

[Cath Kidston MBE: British, Interior and Fashion Designer, business woman, founder of the company Cath Kidston and author of many books.]

[Quote from: Vintage Style by Cath Kidston (1999).]

[Flowers: Purple and white Stock flowers.]

[Vase/Container: Clear glass pickling jar.]

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

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral Sunday!

I'll be back on Monday with another Tiny Blooms - small and easy DIY flower arranging.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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 - # 58 - Mixed Bouquet of British Summer Flowers

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I'm featuring a large mixed bouquet of British grown summer flowers.

All the flowers are from - Yes, you've guessed it! - Forever Green Flower Company. Cel has expanded her range of flowers this season and doubled her production with exiting new varieties.

And - no, she's not paying me to feature her flowers or provide me with free flowers - I just love what she does.

HOW TO:

You'll need:

- a mixed bunch of all kinds of different summer flowers - here are some of the flowers I have used - dark almost black Cornflowers, small white Gladiolus, purple Nepeta, lime-green Alchemilla mollis, bright pink Corn Cockle and white double Feverfew. 

- a very large clear glass vase or jar - in this case I have used an oversized vintage pickling jar. 

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.

Method:

I arranged this bunch straight in the vase - so I didn't use any fancy handtied or spiralled arrangements.

All the stems were quite long so I chose a container that was in proportion to the length of the stems and amount of flowers - as I wanted a tall, open arrangement that looked a little 'wild'. 

I started with the bigger flowers and then filled in with the Alchemilla mollis and the Feverfew - using them a little bit like foliage.

I feel summer is finally here with all it's delightful flowers and life feels just that little bit easier. 

Enjoy your flower arranging! 

Have a Great Floral Saturday and a Happy Weekend!

I will see you next week with a 'Flowers of the Month' - after that I'm taking the month of July off to work on our house and garden - but I will be back in August with more Do-It-Yourself flowers from 'Of Spring and Summer'.

In the meantime I would like to wish you a wonderful summer holiday!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and Photography © Ingrid Henningsson - Of Spring and Summer]
[Flowers from Forever Green Flower Company.]

You can also find me on:

Instagram - https://instagram.com/ofspringandsummer/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ofspringsummer/

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

DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration - # 1 - Tulips

Tulips continue to grow in the vase. You have a few choices:

• Cut the stems a little bit shorter allowing for some growth in the vase.
• Trim the stems every two days - when you change the water in the vase - to keep them the same length. 
• Leave the tulips to grow, bend over and do their own thing - only trim the stems the absolute minimum.

Tulips are always beautiful - long or short!

Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]
[Yellow tulips from Forever Green Flower Company.]