Tiny Blooms - # 39 - Snowdrops

One of the first flowers to appear in the late winter are Snowdrops or Galanthus as they are also called.

They are hardy little things - you can often see the leaves and flowers push their way through a blanket of snow.

The common English snowdrop is called Galanthus nivalis - from the Greek - gala meaning milk and anthos means flower. The second part of the name nivalis means snow-white as it often grows near snow.

This series of blog posts - called 'Tiny Blooms' - are about small flower arrangements. Small - might be the size of the flower or the amount of stems I'm using; or it could be the size of the container. 

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!

All the little snowdrops you see in this blog post I have cut in my own garden. 

You need a certain amount of plants growing in your garden to be able to cut enough even for a small bouquet. So if you just planted some you might have to wait a few season to be able to cut a handful and still leave enough to enjoy in the garden. 

You'll need about 10 to 20 stems to make some impact - but even 3 little stems will do to show off their beauty.

Use any small vase or container with a narrow opening to hold the stems in place. They last for about 4-5 days.

Enjoy these little beauties while they are here!

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I look forward to seeing you next Wednesday - when I'll be back with more floral delights.

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.

*****

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/

Florets - Floral Quote - # 129 - by Hans Blomquist

"The easiest way to bring green into your home is to add pot plants, foliage or large, leafy branches. I wish everyone could add flowers to their home every week, as floral arrangements are so eye-catching in any room, either as a centrepiece on the kitchen table or on a side table. You don't have to spend a lot of money, however, as there are lots of common shrubs,bushes or trees that you can cut a leafy branch off on a walkin the countryside - but please use secateurs for a clean, damage-free cut. If you want more colour, a floral arrangement will do the trick, and what is more beautiful than a bouquet of garden flowers? Nature is not only one of the key ingredients in any interior, but it is also one of the easiest ways to add colour to your space."

~ Hans Blomquist ~ 

[Hans Blomquist: Swedish, Paris-based interior stylist, art director and author of three books The Natural Home (2012), In Detail (2014) and In the Mood for Colour (2016).

[Quote from: In the Mood for Colour by Hans Blomquist.]

[Branches: White Snowberries.]

[Container: White vintage vase.]

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

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I will be back tomorrow Monday with another 'Floral Media'. 

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:

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

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

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.]

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.

For more floral inspiration you can follow me on:

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Tiny Blooms - # 35 - Blue Agapanthus

Hi everyone! I'm back after having taken a few weeks off from blogging and social media over the summer. What some people call a "digital detox". It's been a lovely time to completely switch off, charge up the 'batteries' and do some forward planning for the autumn. 

My first floral blog post after the break is a 'Tiny Blooms' and we are taking a look at some gorgeous blue Agapanthus.

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!

Agapanthus, also called African lily, is a remarkably good cut flower - easy to work with and longlasting.

I found these stunning blue Agapanthus at my local farmers market and they were so cheap I bought three bunches.

The flowers sit on top of strong sturdy stems and can be used in tall arrangements as well as cut down and and used in different low arrangements.

When you buy the flowers they don't come with any leaves so they are very quick and easy to condition. Try not to leave them out of water for too long as the dry out easily. 

I have used a oversized glass jar combined with the long stems of the Agapanthus the whole arrangement is quite tall. 

Agapanthus come in white, blue and purple. I have some white ones growing in my garden and you can see some of those in the last two images.

It's a flower you can use on their own but also mix with other tall, bold flowers such as lilies or gladioli. The flowers are elegant but can be styled in many different ways to suit different occasions.

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I will be back later in the week with more floral delights.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Images 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:

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

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

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

Flowers and Ribbons - # 5 - Jars with Ribbons - Part 2

Over time you have probably noticed that I often feature beautiful ribbons. I'm part of a team of international bloggers who use ribbons from Jane Means' ribbon collection. Jane provides us with ribbons and we use them in some of our blog posts. 

I'm now doing a regular series of blog posts called 'Flowers and Ribbons' where I use Jane's ribbons in combination with flowers and foliage.

This is Part 2 of 'Jars with Ribbons' - you can see Part 1 here if you missed it.

Again we are taking a look at a simple way of creating stunning little flower arrangements using pretty flowers, ribbons and re-cycled jam jars as vases. Quick and easy and for very little money!

Old jam jars are perfect for making low and compact flower arrangements. Cut the stems quite short, let the flowers rest on the edge of the jars and fill the jars with as many flowers that will fit.

Just like in Part 1 I have kept the colour scheme very tight. This time around its all white with a few hints of green.

I have used pure white single tulips, green and white parrot tulips and a white hyacinths.

There are five jars altogether - one has the all white tulips on their own, one has the white hyacinths also on their own, a third is filled with the green and white parrot tulips and a fourth is filled with a mixture of the two tulips. In the last one has snipped off little individual hyacinth flowers floating in water.

The ribbons are a mix of stitched, striped and two sweet little gingham narrow ribbons and amazingly they all pick up the colours in the flowers.

Use the jars on their own or grouped together on a little tray or try them in a row in the middle of a table or along a mantelpiece.

Have a lovely floral day!

I'll be back next month with another 'Flowers and Ribbons. Before that I'll see you later in the week.

[Styling and Photography: © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
[All ribbons shown are from Jane Means' Collection of Ribbons.]

You can also find me on:

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

Take 3 Flowers! - # 7 - White Chrysanthemum, Eucalyptus and bear grass

I've put together another blog post in the series 'Take 3 Flowers!'

In this blog series I will show you how to make easy but beautiful and stylish flower arrangements - just using three different flowers. Often one or more of the three will be some kind of foliage.

Using just three flowers will sometimes be a challenge - but it will also keep the cost down. Cut flowers can be expensive but foliage on the other hand tends to be cheep. You can use lots of it to help fill out the arrangement and to provide support and structure for the other flowers.

After working with a lot of very strong colours lately - I thought it would be nice to use something a bit more neutral. So I have made an arrangement using almost all white Chrysanthemums with two foliage plants. One of them is Eucalyptus that has beautiful silver grey round leaves and the other is a very plain dark green grass called Bear grass.

  

You'll need: 

-  7 stems of white spray Chrysanthemums

-  3 stems of Eucalyptus 

- a very small hand-full of Xerophyllum - also called Bear grass

- a plain white vase - in this case I have used a white Alvar Alto vase

- 2 small plain vases to make little side arrangements

For conditioning the flowers - you'll also need:

- florists snippers or scissors

- a florist bucket

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.

Cut the stems at an angle - to increase water absorption.  

Put in a clean container with tepid 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 also have to re-cut the stems while making the final arrangement to suit the size of the vase or container.

Start off with the Eucalyptus and arrange the branches along the edges of the container. Follow on with the Chrysanthemum also along the edges. Measure the flower stems against the side of the vase and estimate the height and where to make the final cut. Fill in with the final flowers in the middle. Last - pop in some of the grass throughout the arrangement to give it a bit of movement. 

Make two smaller arrangements with some of the left over flowers. Sometimes you have to cut the odd flower from low down on the stems and they are perfect to make small compact little arrangements to use next to the large arrangement or somewhere else in your home. 

As white is considered a neutral colour it will go with almost anything. So you can easily mix it with any green foliage - like here with silver-grey leaves; to mid green and dark green - as well as variegated leaves. If you have a garden - go out and see what you can find to use as foliage. Well, some of you might have to wait a little while if your garden is still covered with snow. Hopefully spring will soon arrive.....!

Have a Lovely Floral Monday!

See you later in the week!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - White on White

The theme on FLOWERS this time is 'White on White'. 

I have used the beautifully scented Paperwhite together with a small leaved Eucalyptus.

In early December I bought two very large pots of Paperwhites from the flower stall at the farmers' market. But instead of bringing them inside I kept the pots on an outside window ledge. That way I could enjoy the flowers through my kitchen windows. I also knew they would last much longer being kept outside as I had a feeling I might want to use them later on for something else.

So this week when I saw that they were in full bloom I knew the time was right. I needed some white cut flowers for the current FLOWERS and thought it would be nice to use them as the theme was all about the colour white. 

I didn't want any of the leaves so I happily cut all the flower stems and combined them in a medium sized vase with some small leaved Eucalyptus foliage that has this lovely mid-green colour - not too dark and not too light.  

I have then layered the image with white on white - using a vintage ceramic urn from Sweden, some old French linen fabric, a painted wooden foot stool, a pile of old books, a small white statue, also from Sweden and as a contrast a little wire basket.

Titti Malmberg - my Swedish based collaborator who I work alongside on FLOWERS - has also created a blog post over on her blog HWIT BLOGG - so please follow the link and go over and see what she has done. 

You can see all our FLOWERS posts Here. 

We also have a special board over on Pinterest with images from FLOWERS.

Have a Very Happy Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~ 

Ingrid 

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 66 - by Rachel Ashwell

" Farmer's markets, fields, gardens, meadows, nurseries, and flower marts in major cities are prime locations for finding quality fresh flowers. Farmer's markets are my choice, as they are so accessible and usually offer a mishmash of meadow and field flowers that look less cultivated than flowers from the other outlets. Large bunches can be purchased for anywhere from two to ten dollars. City flower marts are usually restricted to those with wholesale accounts, so unless you have a connection, they can be frustrating to use. I try to avoid hothouse flowers because they tend to look too artificial. Small imperfections and slight irregularities give flowers a more individual, natural look."

~ Rachel Ashwell ~ 

[Rachel Ashwell: British, based in America, interior designer, stylist, author of seven books and founder of the company Shabby Chic.]

[Quote from: Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell.]

[Flowers: Pink Alstromeria, Orlaya grandiflora, white Nigella and white Phlox.]

[All flowers from: Forever Green Flower Company.]

[Vase: Vintage zinc vase.]

[Other props: 'Vintage' Marimekko fabric, French linen sheet and painted wooden board.]

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

Have a Great Floral Sunday!

See you next week!

xoxo Ingrid

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 7 - White and Lacy

A Bunch for the Weekend - this week is all white and lacy. The mixed arrangement contains Orlaya grandiflora, white Sweet Williams, Alstromeria 'Rivale' and Gypsophila elegans 'Covent Garden'. 

All the flowers are white and have a lacy effect. I used an all white jug as a vase and I have combined them with layers of white vintage lace on the table and surrounded the arrangement with some smaller vintage jugs also mostly white but all empty instead of filled with flowers - just as a nice contrast. 

Wishing you a Fun and Floral Friday!

See you back here on Sunday for another floral quote.

xoxo Ingrid

[All flowers from: Forever Green Flower Company.]
[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.] 

Florets - Floral Quote # 48 by Jane Packer

"For me, the entrance hall is one area of my home that cries out for fresh flowers. It's the place where I welcome my guests, and I enjoy transforming it with the use of flowers. After all, first impressions count, and you never know who is going to pop round for a visit! I love using scented blooms in the hallway to greet you with their evocative perfume when you step through the front door after a long hard day. My favourites would have to be lavender, sweet peas, peonies, Paperwhite narcissus and hyacinths."

~ Jane Packer ~ 

[Jane Packer: (1959-2011) British florist and founder of Jane Packer Flowers and Jane Packer Flower School; author of thirteen books.]

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

[Flowers: White Hyacinths.]

[Vase: Blue glass bowl by Swedish glass artist Bertil Vallien.] 

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

Have a Wonderful Floral Sunday!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid