A Bunch for the Weekend - # 47 - Parrot Tulips, Lisianthus and Bear Grass

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring some parrot tulips with a gorgeous white Lisianthus and some long thin bear grass.

You'll need:

- 20 stems of white and green parrot tulips

- 12 stems of white Lisianhtus

- about 30 - 40 blades of bear grass

- a low wide white vase or container - I have used a white Alvar Alto vase 

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.

The vase I'm using has irregular sides so I decided to make the arrangement straight in the vase and not tempting to do a handtied. 

I started with the tulips placing them evenly throughout the vase - try to keep the tulip stems as long as possible - so don't cut off too much.

After the tulips I put in the Lisianthus - leaving the stems long enough to sit just above the tulips. If they come multi-stemmed cut them up into several long stems and spread them throughout the arrangement.

Last I put in the bear grass - divide them up into small bundles of three to five blades and again spread them evenly throughout and letting them stick up above the flowers to give a bit of movement.    

The white Alvar Alto Savoy vase is one I have had for a very long time and I use it all the time. The original was designed in 1937 and was exhibited at the World's Fair in Paris that same year. The vase is still being manufactured by Iittala in Finland.

I love how both flowers has this combination of fresh green and brilliant white. It's also lovely to see how the two flowers work so well together - and how the long thin blades of grass gives straight lines and creates some extra movement in the arrangement.

Green and white are the perfect colours for a spring arrangement - don't you think? 

And it looks like spring is here to stay! I'm very happy!

Have a Happy Floral Saturday!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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