From the Archives - 29 December 2014 -Tiny Blooms - Cyclamens as Cut Flowers

This post is part of a brand new blog series called 'From the Archives'. It will be previously posted blog posts that I feel are still relevant for some reason or another. 

It will always be a post from the same calendar month as we are in or it could be some of my favourite flowers from the same season - that still lifts my spirit. 

Flowers are so ephemeral - but their beauty caught on camera never fades.........!!

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

Over the month of December I've been doing a few inspirational posts - that I've called 'Black and White Christmas' - and as it's still December - here is another one for the the New Year. 

Well, they are mostly white - with some black additions - and mixing contemporary elements with some vintage. 

As my 'tiny bloom' I have used yet again some white Cyclamen - but this time it's the smaller variety. But instead of displaying the whole pot with the flowers - I decided to use the cyclamens as a cut flower. 

I had earlier bought quite a few little pots with lots of cyclamen buds - I kept them outside and they very happily opened up its beautiful little flowers. 

So for this little project I cut about 30 stems and put them all in a little black vase.

As we are still in the holiday season - I added a Swedish vintage wooden toadstool, some plump cranberries and in the background I've displayed a mini Christmas tree.

All very quick and easy - the flowers last for about a week and if you plant the cyclamen in your garden - it will come back year after year.

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

I'll see you later in the week!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid 

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 122 - by Tricia Guild

"Flowers in themselves are neither old-fashioned nor new. Like clothes, it is the way in which they are used that lets them be seen in new ways. Displayed singly, in a simple glass vase, even traditional, cottage-garden flowers such as pansies, nasturtiums and love-in-the-mist can be seen in all their startling, sculptural beauty. Gerberas or cultivated orchids have the graphic impact of an abstract painting. Be brave. Use clashing colours. Play with patterns and textures. The boldest blooms will stand out against the brightest colours."

~ Tricia Guild and Elspeth Thompson ~ 

[Tricia Guild OBE: British interior designer, founder and Creative Director of Designers Guild; and author of fifteen books.]

[Elspeth Thompson (1961-2010) British author of fifteen books on gardening, interiors and crafts; and journalist for The Sunday Telegraph, the Guardian and the observer - writing on gardening and interiors.]

[Quote from: Flowers by Tricia Guild.]

[Flowers: Colourful clashing Zinnias.]
[Ribbons from Jane Means' Ribbon Collection.]

[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'll be back on Monday with another Floral Media - a short video all about a new book. 

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

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Florets - Floral Quote - # 70 - by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring

" Pastels are versatile, and when paired with edgy brights (like neon) you can turn up the volume, giving them a forward, contemporary feel.Try tying the tops of your stems just under the blooms with long flowing ribbons in fun brights to lend a festive touch.."

~ Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring ~

[Holly Becker: American, based in Germany, interior stylist, teacher and blogger on Decor8, author of three books: Decorate, Decorate Workshop and Decorate with Flowers.] 

[Leslie Shewring: Canadian stylist, photographer, designer; blogger on A Creative Mint and co-author of Decorate with Flower.]

[Quote from: Decorate with Flowers by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring.]

[Flowers: Pink stock flowers.]

[Vase: Vintage milk bottle.]

[Other props: Pink satin ribbon, torn strip of pink and white fabric; marble table.]

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

[Styling inspired by Holly and Leslie's book Decorate with Flowers.]

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 12 - Limonium

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring Limonium or Statice as it's also called.

Limonium has a bit of a frumpy, old-ladyish image - but it's now just like carnations becoming popular again. 

It might be hard to get hold of as a lot of florists don't stock it. I got mine from my local farmer's market but I have also seen it sold by flower sellers on street corners and in supermarkets.  

It's a flower that needs to be purchased when the flowers are open as they will not develop further once cut.

As usual condition the flowers by removing any of the lower leaves that would end up below the waterline in the vase. Cut the stems at an angle and put immediately in a clean vase with fresh water over night or at least a few hours before making the final arrangement.

Limonium is an easy plant - has very few leaves to remove, lasts for ages and comes in a huge range of colours. Last but not least it dries really well and will keep it's bright colour even when dried.    

I went to a brand new gardening fair last weekend on Hampstead Heath in North London - called Grow London. It's a fair of about 80 stalls with almost exclusively modern, contemporary stuff and plants for sale.

At the fair I bought this rather funky vase from Judy Green's Garden Store. It has a round clear glass inner vase and around the outside is a crinkly nest of stainless steel wires. 

I was intrigued by how it would look with flowers in it and I think it worked very well with the Limonium - a flower that also have a crinkly look to them. 
  

Have a Fabulous Floral Day!

See you on Sunday for another floral quote by another flower lover.

xoxo Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote - # 69 - by Rebecca Tanqueray

" If you want to place flowers in the middle of the table, make sure the arrangement is not too tall; your guests should be able to see over it easily in order to chat. 

How you present flowers is up to you, but generally, the more creative you are, the more impact the arrangement will have. Instead of the usual bunch of flowers in a vase, experiment with single blooms in tumblers or eggcups, use a large bowl or even a cake stand for a pretty central display. You could even scatter petals across the tabletop. Flowers should be an eye-catching focal point, so play around with different effects and see what works best."

~ Rebecca Tanqueray ~ 

[Rebecca Tanqueray: British, former Deputy Editor of Elle Decoration (UK), writer on interiors and design for newspapers and magazines; author of nine books on interior design.]

[Quote from: Table Style by Liz Belton and Rebecca Tanqueray.]
[Flowers: Purple sweet peas.]
[Vases: Vintage bud vases from Sweden and the UK.]
[Other props: Painted wooden board and marble table.]
[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Have a Lovely Floral Sunday!

See you next week.

xoxo Ingrid

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 11 - Ammi majus

'A Bunch for the Weekend' - this week is a single stem of Ammi majus. I love the white frothy look of Ammi majus - it's similar to cowparsley - but is more delicate and longer lasting. I also like the simplicity and graphic contrast with the black and white Marimekko bowl that I used as a vase.

Obviously it's extremely quick and easy to condition - remove all leaves - as they die more quickly than the flowers - cut the stem at an angle and just long enough for the umbels to rest on the edge of the bowl.

You could also create a more romantic or cottage garden look by putting the flowers in some pretty teacups and arrange them in a group on a table.

Another idea would be to make little arrangement in small jars and line them up in the middle of a dinner table as a central arrangement. Or place them at each table setting for the guests to enjoy. 

Have wonderful Floral Friday!

See you again on Sunday for the weekly floral quote.

xoxo Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote - # 68 - by Jane Packer

"Although nowadays you can get many flowers all year around, at Jane Packer we try to use those that are in season. There are a few wonderful 'luxury' flowers that appear for a few short weeks only every year, such as peonies or lily-of-the-valley. They can sometimes be obtain out of season, but tend to be very expensive and often the quality isn't great. Many of these flowers have a very short vase life - stocks or lily-of-the-valley, for example. Just enjoy them as a fleeting pleasure and don't expect them to last, or you'll be disappointed."  

~ Jane Packer ~ 

[Jane Packer: (1959-2011) British florist and founder of Jane Packer Flowers and flower school, author of thirteen books.]

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

[Flowers: Pink and purple stock flowers.]

[Vase: Pink flower pot from Homebase.]

[Vintage props: A selection of vintage grain sacks.]

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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 10 - Alchemilla and Astrantia

'A Bunch for the Weekend' - this week is a bunch of Alchemilla mollis and Astrantia major 'Ruby Wedding'. It's the combination of the ruby coloured Astrantia against the almost acid green small frothy Alchemilla flowers - that I find have an interesting texture and colour combination. 

I'm walking in the footsteps of Christopher Lloyd and Sarah Raven here - both fans of the 'unsafe' colour combinations. Both have written books on the subject - Sarah's The Bold and Brilliant Garden and the late Christopher Lloyd's book Colour for Adventurous Gardeners are books that explores the more unusual colour combinations. 

The flowers are from my garden and I used a vintage apothecary jar as a vase. I tied a short Jane Means gingham ribbon in green and white around the top.

There are quite a few stems - 12 stems of Alchemilla and 14 of the Astrantia. I conditioned the flowers as usual by removing all lower leaves that would end up below the waterline in the vase and cutting all stems at an angle before putting them in a clean vase with fresh water preferably over night.

The unusual colours make it look really fresh and lively - perfect for a hot summers day. 

Have a Perfect Floral Friday and a Great Weekend!

See you again on Sunday for another Floral Quote.

xoxo Ingrid

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

    

Flowers from the Flower Market - # 4 - Delphiniums

Delphiniums are magnificent at this time of year and I just could not leave the market without bringing some home. It's a flower that come in many different pink and blue colours as well as white and peach. 

 The one little difficulty with Delphiniums are that they are quite tall - so you need a tall vase. Tall vases become top heavy so they are not always easy to deal with but apart from that it's a great flower that you don't have to do a lot to and lasts well. 

It's a flower that starts flowering from the bottom of the spike while the top still has tight buds. You will need to remove the lower spent flowers as the buds open up. 

Like always condition the flowers by removing any lower leaves that will end up below the waterline in the vase. Cut the stems at an angle and put straight in a clean container with water - and leave over night in a cool place. 

Delphiniums are a flower that remind me of an old-fashioned country garden and I thought these blue and white floral vases had the same feel about them. 

Just to be on the safe side I put all the old vintage vases on little saucers - also blue and white floral china. Don't ever trust an old china vase - as they might leak and ruin your tabletop. 

You don't need to do very much to delphiniums - they are perfect on their own and their loose country garden style is easy and charming.

Keep the tall spires all the same height to give a neat finish to your arrangement.  

I was able to make one lower arrangement with a light pink Delphinium - that I only had one stem of. I cut it quite short - put it in a low vase and used some stems with unopened buds in the back. Simple and easy!  

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

See you later in the week!

xoxo Ingrid

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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 8 - Pink Delphiniums

A Bunch for the Weekend - this week is all pink. Well, to be exact it's three stems of pink Delphiniums and two stems of green Delphinium buds.

Delphiniums are made up of tall, narrow spikes - so you need a tall vase. I have used an old sake bottle - turned out to be the perfect container. It worked well as it was tall enough and everything looked in proportion.

It's a flower that starts flowering from the bottom of the spike while the top still has tight buds. You will need to remove the lower spent flowers as the buds open up. 

Have a Fun and Floral Friday!

See you on Sunday for another floral quote from a flower lover!

xoxo Ingrid

[Flowers from Forever Green Flower Company.]

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 55 - by Tricia Guild & Elspeth Thompson

"Energy. A flower is a living thing, bringing the vibrations of the natural world into your home. Different flowers have different moods and energies. Learn to discriminate between them. With their bright colours and neat, radiating petals, dahlias almost look cheerful. Black calla lilies are sultry and sensual. Small posies of garden flowers create a mood of intimacy, while feathery cow parsley adds lightness and romance. Bold arrangements of a few bright blooms can raise the energy in a basement or dark hallway."

~ Tricia Guild and Elspeth Thompson ~

[Tricia Guild: OBE, British interior designer, founder and Creative Director of Designers Guild; and author of fifteen books.]

[Elspeth Thompson (1961-2010) British author of fifteen books on gardening, interiors and craft; and journalist for The Sunday Telegraph, the Guardian and the Observer writing on gardening and interiors.] 

[Quote: From Cut Flowers by Tricia Guild.]

[Flowers: Yellow parrot tulips.]

[Vase: Vintage milk pail container.]

[Vintage props: Wooden measuring sticks.]

[Other props: Fabric and painted wooden board.]

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

Have a Fabulous Floral Sunday!

See you next week!

xoxo Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote # 46 by Tricia Guild and Elspeth Thompson

"Translucence. Water forms part of the essential elemental nature of flowers: they rise out of the earth, draw water up their stems, move and breathe in the air and open their petals to the fiery sun. It was its perfect embodiment of the four elements that made the lotus the ultimate spiritual flower in ancient Eastern scriptures. Water is as integral a part of a flower arrangement as the vase. It reminds us that flowers are living things - even glossy tulips or candy-pink gerberas, which can seem almost plastic in their perfection."

~ Tricia Guild and Elspeth Thompson ~ 

[Tricia Guild: British interior designer, founder and Creative Director of Designers Guild; and author of fifteen design books. 

Elspeth Thompson: 1961-2010, British author of fifteen books on gardening, interiors and craft; and journalist for The Sunday Telegraph, the Guardian and the Observer, writing on gardening and interiors.]

[Quote from: Cut Flowers by Tricia Guild.]

[Flowers: Pink parrot tulips.]

[Vase: Vintage bottle with washi tape.]

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

Have a Wonderful Floral Sunday!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid