A Bunch for the Weekend - # 87 - White Pinks, Statice and Eucalyptus

This week I'm featuring white Pinks, Statice and Eucalyptus - a lovely combination of white and purple flowers with the addition grey-green foliage.

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.

The bright, white Pinks are almost luminous especially in contrast with the darker purple colour of the Statice.

I would very much here like to give Cel Robertson the credit she deserves for creating this combination of flowers. She has planted and grown them on her organic flower farm in Norfolk called Forever Green Flower Company. She then combines the flowers into bouquets and sells them at farmers' markets in London and elsewhere.

All I did was to buy two bunches from her at our local farmers' market and combine them into one big bouquet. 

I also made a smaller side bouquet with the white Pinks on their own in a vintage silver plated cream jug.

I like the shape and simplicity of these scissors - but oh, my dear are they uncomfortable - if you use them a lot. They don't stay sharp however often you sharpen them and the metal  dig into your hands. I would never recommend them to be used for any frequent work with flowers. I'm just featuring them here as a prop.

I apologise for being negative and critical about a very humble pair of scissors - I'm usually not negative and critical about things I feature on my blog because I like to show things I like. 

This on the other hand is one of my favourite brands - Marimekko. I have things that I bought in Sweden as a teenager and I'm still using them - shirts, bags, cushion covers and tablecloths. Quite amazing considering that it's quite a few years ago. 

Surrounding the flowers and combining them with a few black and white props has worked well - fabrics, scissors, bowl, basket and a few pieces of jewelry.

I have used a large vintage pickling jar as a vase. These clear glass, very plain straight sided pickling jars has become one of my favourite containers to use for flowers. They just seem to go with most blooms and don't take anything away from the flowers.

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

You might wonder where I've been - I had to take a short unscheduled break last week for personal reasons - but all is well and I'm now back to my usual blogging.

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer' - I will be back on Sunday with another floral quote by someone passionate about flowers. 

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Styling, photography and text © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
[All flowers and foliage from Forever Green Flower Company.]

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.

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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.]

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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Creative with Flowers - # 16 - Early Autumn Colours

Autumn is sneaking up on us - even though here in London it's still high temperatures - hotter than it's been all summer.

I bought this beautiful bouquet of flowers last week from my floral friend Cel Robertson, who owns the organic flower farm in Norfolk, called Forever Green Flower Company.

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

I found Cel's combination of flowers, foliage and grass just perfect for this time of year. Still full of 'summer' but with bits of 'autumn' sneaked in.

In the bouquet is a lovely combination of fresh white Alstroemeria, Lysimachia and Limonium or Statice as its also called. Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo' has interesting dark foliage. The beautiful delicate grass Panicum virgatum adds movement and in the middle is some deep purple Verbena. 

I have added a Swedish rag rug that used to be my grandmothers and on top are some old and well read books. 

On a black Mexican plate is a collection of beads and two rolls of garden twine in similar colours to the beads.

I used some of these flowers in a different arrangement - that you can see here. 

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. 

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:

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

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

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

Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and Inspiration - # 9 - Zinnia

This time 'Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and Inspiration' is all about Zinnia.

• Zinnias are native to Mexico and some other South American countries.
• They are in the Asteraceae family and resembles Asters, daisies and sunflowers.
• The Zinnia is named after the German professor in botany Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727-1759).

• They come in a vast variety of colours including hot pink, white, mustard yellow, tangerine orange, red, purple and lilac.
• There are also some varieties that has unusual muted palettes and interesting variegated colour combinations
• They are loved by butterflies and hummingbirds.

• A lot of gardeners find them a bit tricky to grow due to their tendency to develop mould. 
• They also hate having their roots disturbed and its important not to sow the seeds too early - as they like it warm.
• Zinnias are a great late summer to mid-autumn flower.

• Zinnias look fabulous in a vase just on their own. Especially the bright ones that needs nothing else.
• Here I'm featuring two different coloured Zinnias in some of the more muted colours.
• I have still used the two colours separately - but using the same vase to give some interesting colour combinations.   

The vase I've used is a vintage pewter vase - neutral in colour but still making a statement with its tall narrow shape and nice texture.

The lovely flowers are British grown by Cel Robertson on her flower farm in Norfolk called Forever Green Flower Company.

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

I will be back later in the week with more floral delights from 'Of Spring and Summer'.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Images: © 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

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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 46 - Bright Yellow Daffodils

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring three different daffodils. Their botanical or Latin name are Narcissus.

The three are: 

- the small Narcissus with an orange middle is called 'Golden Dawn' 

- the single daffodil with the ruffled cup is called 'Carlton' 

- the large double daffodil is called 'Golden Ducat'.

They are all from the organic flower farm Forever Green Flower Company - so all British grown. 

You'll need:

- about 25 stems of daffodils, here I have used 9 'Golden Dawn', 9 'Carlton' and 7 'Golden Ducat' 

- a medium sized clear glass containers - I have used a clear glass apothecary jar

- three shimmering mini glass bud vases in gold, silver and green

- five little toy "spring lambs"

- a small piece of fabric - green with cream dots

- ribbon, a light yellow grosgrain stitched ribbon from Jane Means, to tie around the neck of the container

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.

Arrange the flowers in your hand - making a round dome-shaped bouquet - mix the flowers so that you have an even spread of the three different sized flowers throughout the arrangement.

Before you make the final cut - put the container at the edge of the work surface and hold the arrangement next to it to measure where to cut. You want the lower flowers to sit just above the edge of the container.

This arrangement is as bright as they come and really show that spring is here to stay. I certainly welcome bright yellow daffodils at this time of year - but maybe not so much yellow the rest of the year. What about you - is yellow a colour you use all year around? 

Have a Happy Floral Saturday and 

Enjoy Your Easter Weekend!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

[Ribbon by Jane Means.]

[Flowers from Forever Green Flower Company.] 

Take 3 Flowers! - # 4 - White and Yellow Paperwhites

I'm back with another blog post in the series 'Take 3 Flowers!'

Where I will show you how to make easy but beautiful and stylish flower arrangements - just using three different flowers. Often one 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.

Finding seasonal cut flowers at this time of year is not always easy - but Paperwhites is definitely one flower that we always associate with Christmas. The white one is the more well known but there is also a yellow one called 'Grand Soleil d'Or'. What a great name - 'Big Golden Sun' - it might not be very big but it certainly is very bright!

All the flowers are grown by Cel Robertson who owns Forever Green Flower Company - an organic flower farm in Norfolk. I buy them from her at my local Saturday Farmers' Market. I know they will always be fresh and in beautiful condition.

You'll need: 

- 15 stems of white Paperwhites - Narcissus 'Tazetta' 

- 21 stems of yellow Paperwhites - 'Grand Soleil d'Or' - also called Golden Yellow Paperwhites

- 5 stems of small dark leaved Eucalyptus foliage 

- 3 small vases or containers - in this case I have used three small vintage cream jars with narrow openings

- 2 small elastic bands

- black and natural coloured twine

- a selection of tea-lights in small candle holders, a lantern, some silver coloured Christmas tree baubles, a few extra cream jars and a fabric with a winter theme.

For conditioning the flowers - you'll also need:

- florists snippers or scissors

- a florist bucket

- a sharp knife and a cutting board

As always - condition the flowers by removing any leaves that would end up below the water line in the vase. 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 before making the final arrangement.

Sorry, about always repeating this last bit - but it's probably the most important thing you can do to make your flowers last longer! So I'm afraid you have to put up with me always repeating myself.

In the case of Paperwhites if you buy them as cut flowers they will most likely come without any leaves.  

I didn't want to make one arrangement mixing the two Paperwhites in different colours with the foliage - but decided to put them in separate containers. 

To give the small flowers a bit more impact - I decided to do a version of what florists call Narcissus Topiary Tree arrangement.

You start with one stem in your hand and then add stems one by one - in circles going around the first one. With larger Daffodils you would position them so that each single bloom faces outwards - with Paperwhites, that has several blooms on each stem, this is a bit trickier - whichever way the blooms face - in the end the bunch will look lovely!

Hold the bunch quite high up and when you've added all the stems - tie some raffia, twine or ribbon just below the heads. To make it a bit easier you can put an elastic band on first and then hide it under a ribbon or twine. 

Measure where to make the final cut - by standing the container at the edge of your work surface and hold the arrangement next to it. You can then decide how tall you want the arrangement in proportion to the container. 

Lastly lay the bunch on a cutting board and with a sharp knife make a straight cut across all the stems. This is so that the arrangement can stand up straight in the container. You can help it along by placing some moss all around the stems inside the container.

Place the dark green Eucalyptus foliage very simply in a container on their own - just to add some greenery as a contrast and to give some texture to the arrangement.

The seasonal things around the flowers are some vintage silver Christmas tree baubles, a few tea-lights in small glass candle holders and a fabric with a winter theme - this one looks like fresh snow falling from the sky.

 Quick, easy and using just 3 flowers!

Have a Lovely Floral Monday!

See you later in the week!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

[Flowers and foliage from Forever Green Flower Company.]