Creative with Flowers - # 25 - Double Orange Princess Tulips

This week on Creative with Flowers - I'm featuring a bunch of orange tulips.

Tulips are now starting to appear on the flower stalls. I always find them a very welcome sight. They are one of my favourite flowers and I think they are great to work with.  

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!

Ten stems of colourful tulips plonked in a clear glass container. What could be easier?

 This one is called Tulipa 'Orange Princess'. It's a double tulip instead of the usual single petals that most tulips has - double tulips has many layers - giving the flowers great depth and fullness.   

Joining the tulips are three Scandinavian vases all white and minimal in their design. Well, what do you expect - after all they are Scandinavian!

From left to right: White ceramic vase with an abstract pattern on the sides by the Swedish artist Bertil Wallin. Next is a piece of white marble with a carved garland as decoration. I have no idea what it was used for, how old it is or where it's from. The small glass vase is also by Bertil Wallin and on the far right is a small mini version of Alvar Aalto's Savoy vase. 

Tulips will be available for many months now. Remember to give them plenty of water. They also keep growing in the vase so the arrangement will slightly change over time. 

If possible keep them in a place that is not too warm and put them somewhere cool over night - and they will last much longer.

If you can re-cut the stems and give them fresh water every 1-2 days. They will last approximately 5-10 days.

Tulips are great for a dining table as they are not too tall - people can see each other across the table. 

A colourful tulip arrangement will work in almost every room in the house - just think about tying in the colours of the flowers with colours already in the room.

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer'. I will be back later in the week. Hope to see you then.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

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Creative with Flowers - # 20 - Bright Red Dahlias for the Hall

I love having a bunch of fresh flowers in my hallway. It makes me happy to see some colourful blooms when I arrive home and the bigger the better!

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!

The hallway can easily become cluttered with coats, shoes, bags, keys and all kind of other things dumped on the floor as soon as you come inside the door. 

If you are lucky enough to have a hall with room for a table - a container with an arrangement of daffodils and tulips at springtime. Big bunches of pretty summer flowers during the summer months.

Sunflowers, Chrysanthemums, or like here, Dahlias are perfect in the hall during the late summer and autumn. Why not try some branches with crabapples or other colourful berries during the winter.  

A folded piece of fabric that picks up the colour in the flowers is a quick and easy way to create a temporary tablecloth. The one I've used, even has a pattern with trees in autumn colours.

Work with what's available each season and your hallway will be transformed and a colourful and beautiful arrangement will greet you when you arrive home.  

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 some more floral delights. Hope to 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.

For more floral inspiration you can follow me on:

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Florets - Floral Quote - # 121 - by Malin Hidesäter

" Ah, lovely, colourful and sweet-scented chrysanthemums! Come the autumn, there are so many varieties to choose between, and they last for ages. A 3,000-year-old legend tells how the emperor of China ordered a few of his men to seek out a magic herb that would bring eternal youth. The men returned with some twigs of chrysanthemum. Eternal youth or not, chrysanthemums is now second only to the rose in terms of numbers sold."

~ Malin Hidesäter ~

[Malin Hidesäter: Swedish florist, flower expert, stylist, TV presenter and author of two books - Flower Power and Krukväxter.]

[Quote from: Flower Power (2007) by Malin Hidesäter and Anna Skoog (photographer).]

[Flowers: Pink and orange chrysanthemums.]

[Container: Vintage giant clear glass pickling jar.]

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I'll be back on Monday with another Floral Media - a short video all about how to make some DIY flower arrangement. 

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Styling and Photography © 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.

For more floral inspiration you can follow me on:

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

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

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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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 77 - Pink and Purple Stock Flowers

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.  

I created a trio of pink and purple scented stock flowers in three large vintage pickling jars. All of my jars come from flea markets or charity stores.

I did three handtied bouquets and used some natural twine to tie around the stems. All three bunches are leaning to one side of the jar giving the arrangement a more casual look.

I have placed the three jars in front of some vintage silverplated trays - large and small, round and oval  - and grouped together to give a background to the arrangement.

On one of the smaller trays I have made a little temporary arrangement of three single flowers - one of each colour.

I love stock flowers - they are easy, long lasting and very reasonably priced. On top of that they are pretty, scented and come in beautiful colours. 

What more do you want from a bunch of flowers?

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

I'll be be back on Sunday with another 'Florets' - a quote from a passionate flower lover.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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 # 5 - Pink and Purple Scented Stocks

Scented stocks are one of my favourite flowers and what's so great about them is that they are available for many months of the year - usually from January to August, but they peak from about March - July.

They come in quite a few colours - white, cream, burgundy and like here in purple, lilac, pale pink and cerise pink.

They are usually called scented stocks - their botanical name is Matthiola - named after the Italian physician and botanist Pierandrea Mattiola (1500-1577). Stocks were popular in Elizabethan gardens, where their spicy fragrance led them to be called 'gillyflower' a popular name for any flower with a strong, clove like scent. 

When you get them home - trim the stems and especially cut away any white parts of the stem as they will not take up water. Also remove any leaves that would end up below the water level in the vase. 

These small containers are tea-light holders and I have simply put one of the little flowers in each cup - floating in some water. They only last for about a day but can easily be replaced with new ones.

The container I have used is a vintage pickling jar with tall straight sides. They will hold even quite tall flowers and it's big enough to take a large bunch which is useful if you want to make an arrangement with some impact.  

Stocks looks fabulous on their own but is very versatile and can be mixed with peonies, Alchemilla mollis as well as many other flowers.

I love the soft colours, the sweet scent and the delightfully frothiness of the individual flowers. It's a flower that has a romantic and cottage feel to it - as well as its being contemporary and timeless in design.
  

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

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

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration follow me on:

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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 74 - Bright Yellow Daffodils

Easter is over but the daffodils just keep coming! Luckily I love bright yellow daffodils at this time of year.

I have used a large vintage pickling jar - its simple, understated and does not take anything away from the flowers.

Flowers like this that is striking in colour as well as shape and texture doesn't need any other flowers - they are just fine on their own.   

Make the bouquet as a spiraled hand-tied bunch or just do it straight in the container. Whichever way make sure all the flower trumpets are facing out. 

If you are making the arrangement straight in the vase - use the shorter flowers around the edges - resting on the edge of the vase and the longer in the middle.  

It makes an attractive dome-shaped silhouette that looks nice from all sides. 

Remember to always cut the ends of the stems before you put them in water. Daffodils are often transported dry to markets and flower stalls. The reason for that is to delay flowering - as soon as they are put in water the flowers start opening up.  

When you first buy the daffodil flowers they don't look like much - long green stalks and not much of the flower is showing. BUT they emerge like butterflies into large yellow trumpets with frilly edges.

And I'm off to buy some more tomorrow Saturday!

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

I'll see you on Sunday with another 'Florets - Floral Quote' by someone passionate about flowers - as well as some more floral delights from Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration follow me on:

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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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Florets Floral Quote - # 103 - by Ariella Chezar

"Is there anything that can transform a moment, a morning, a mood, or a space as instantly as an array of fresh flower? Their colour and aliveness, their fragrance, their movement, their ability to attract the eye (and distract it!), and the sheer sensual pleasure they give make them nearly miraculous."

~ Ariella Chezar ~ 

[Ariella Chezar: American, master floral designer and teacher at Flower School New York. She is frequently featured in magazines and has arranged flower arrangements for the White House. She is also the author of two books Flowers for the Table (2002) and The Flower Workshop (2016).]

[Quote from: The Flower Workshop.]

[Flowers: Light pink parrot tulips.]

[Container: Large vintage clear glass pickling jar.]

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

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral Sunday!

I'll see you tomorrow with some more floral delights 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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 68 - Pink Spring Flowers

It's a very pink bunch for the weekend this week - a bunch of pale pink tulips, some small pink gerbera, a bunch of bright pink ranunculus and some beautiful and very pink hyacinths.

As a vase I used a small vintage pickling jar - this one has a funny little strawberry and some lettering in the glass. It has tall straight sides and I also needed something that had a wide opening but that would hold the flowers in a compact shape.

I was also looking for something that would raise the arrangement off the table and I thought a pail of books would do the trick. On my bookshelves I found six books that all had pink spines to match the pink flowers.  

I also added a piece of chevron pink and white fabric, a small pink vase and a large vintage pink and green floral patterned bowl in the background.
  

 I have chosen flowers within a very tight colour palette - but the flowers are very different in size, shape and texture to still give a varied and interesting arrangement. 

It's such a pleasure and privilege to be able to have access to beautiful flowers at this time of year. A time of year when the weather is still dark, grey, cold and rainy even snow outside our windows - so what a treat to have flowers to arrange, style and photograph!

Enjoy Your Flower Arranging and 

Have a Fabulous Floral Friday and Weekend!

I'll see you again tomorrow Saturday with Flowers of the Month. I will be summing up all the flowers I have used during the month of January.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

You can also find me on:

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

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