Simple Autumn Bouquet

Here is a short video showing you how to make a very simple autumn bouquet.

The two main colours are a beautiful dusty pink and grey green foliage.

The flowers are spray chrysanthemums, roses, limonium and single chrysanthemums and the foliage are grey-green eucalyptus and beargrass.

The bouquet is made as a handtied arrangement where all the stems are crossed. You can tie it with some raffia ready to give as a gift or simply put in a beautiful vase like they have done here.

[Video provided by Elle Decoration and design by Interflora. Florist is Nika Wahren from Skillad Floral Design and video by Johan Hedberg.]

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 102 - Rustic Country

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring pink waxflowers, purple Limonium with some good old parrot tulips that you might recognise.  

Here is a little "statement" that I add - to briefly explaining my thinking behind these particular posts:

"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, I 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 last longer and 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."

After conditioning the flowers let them rest for a few hours or overnight just to give them time to absorb as much water as possible. If you are able to keep them in a cool place even better.

I have covered the table with a length of hessian fabric - leaving the cut edges 'raw' to give that overall feel of rustic country.

The two rustic terracotta jars are from Turkey. I bought them from a shop selling terracotta pots in all shapes and sizes right around the corner from my house. The shop was closing down and selling everything very cheap.

One has handles and the other one is a bit shorter and rounder and they are both perfect for flower arrangements. 

I bought the little green watering can at Chelsea Flower Show last year - but had not tried to use it for flowers yet. I put it under the tap to fill it with water and instead of filling up it started within seconds to leaking like a sieve. It just made me laugh as it was totally unexpected.  

The Limonium and the waxflowers are usually used as fillers for mixed flower arrangements. I thought they looked lovely together and mixed two bunches of each in the tall terracotta jar.

Filler flowers are usually sold for a lower price so perfect if you are on a budget. Lots of flowers and lots of colour for very little money. A perfect combination and a win, win situation!

Here is another image of the notorious watering can!

The deep pink parrot tulips I had used before in a previous blog post. They lasted for ages and I decided to use them again for this post. 

Here I simply swapped the container and put them instead in a matching terracotta jar. They looked perfect sitting in the background  of my 'Rustic Country' scene.

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

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

I'm looking forward to seeing you back here then.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

[Styling, photography and text © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
[Flowers: Rich pink parrot tulips, purple Limonium and pink waxflowers.]
[Vase/Container: Vintage rustic terracotta jars.]

*****

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 now have just over 12 000 followers and around 200 boards all relating to flowers, flower 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/

Tiny Blooms - # 40 - Pink Limonium in Mini Bud Vase

This week on 'Tiny Blooms' I'm featuring pink Limonium in a pink mini bud vase.

Here is a little "statement" that I add - to briefly explaining my thinking behind these particular posts:

"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!"

While making larger arrangements you often make little off cuts that are perfectly fine but they are too short or in the wrong place. 

I always keep these little stems and make up small side arrangements. I often use something called bud vases. They can be tall and slender or you can also find short ones. They almost always have a narrow neck to hold just one flower stem. 

I'm using a short and dainty one here and I have cut the stems very short and then filled the vase with as many stems as I could fit in.

The colourful abalone shell is an interesting contrast to the arrangement and so is the wire basket filled with twine and balls of torn rags. 

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 now have just over 12 000 followers and around 200 boards all relating to flowers, flower 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/

Flowers of the Month - November 2016

It's the last day of November and its time for another round-up of what I have been up to this last month. 

In 'Flowers of the Month' I feature all the different flowers and floral arrangements that I styled, photographed and posted exclusively on my blog 'Of Spring and Summer'.

The title of the post under the image - is also a link to the post - if you would like to see it again or you missed it.

Creative with Flowers - Red Dahlias

Florets - Floral Quote by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring

Creative with Flowers - Pink Hydrangea I

A Bunch for the Weekend - Pink Hydrangea II

Florets - Floral Quote by Ngoc Minh Ngo

Creative with Flowers - Double Orange Princess Tulips

A Bunch for the Weekend - Colourful Parrot Tulips

Florets - Floral Quote by Hans Blomquist

Creative with Flowers - Blue Hyacinths and Purple Anemones

A Bunch for the Weekend - Purple Limonium and Grey-Green Eucalyptus Foliage

Florets - Floral Quote by Jane Packer

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 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:

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

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

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

A Bunch for the Weekend - # 92 - Purple Limonium and Grey-Green Eucalyptus Foliage

In this week's 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I'm featuring two plants that florists mostly use as fillers in their flower arrangements. 

We are talking about Eucalyptus and Purple Limonium - two very easy and reasonably priced plants.

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 last longer and 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.

Purple Limonium is also called Statice or Sea lavender. They can last for up to two weeks - not bad going. This is a small version of the larger Statice that you often see dried and that comes in many different colours. 

Eucalyptus foliage also lasts for ages. So a win, win situation when using both plants!

Both are also strong hardy plants and straightforward to condition before making the arrangement.

Florists use filler and foliage plants in addition to the bigger, more important and often more expensive flowers that make up the flower arrangement.  

Here I wanted to show that "secondary" flowers or foliage can make beautiful flower arrangements just by themself.

I made up one large mixed arrangement and two small side arrangement. All three containers that I have used are vintage apothecary jars - clear glass and white china. 

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

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

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

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.

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 115 - by Selina Lake

"Simple and stylish. Natural Botanicals interiors feature a gentle mix of textures. Untreated woods work in harmony with white-painted furniture for a clean, calm style that gives a nod to Scandinavian interiors. Woven baskets make perfect plant holders and soft furnishing are fashioned from linen, cotton and worn leather. Plants and greenery give these neutral spaces character and interest. The colour palette is based on whites, soft greys and putty shades combined with organic greens, natural wood and touches of pure black."

~ Selina Lake ~

[Selina Lake: British, freelance interior stylist and author of seven books.]

[Quote from: Botanical Style by Selina Lake, 2016.]

[Flowers: Mixed white late summer flowers - Nigella, Limonium and Lysimachia.]
[Container: Vintage white apothecary jar and a recycled can.]

[Styling and Photography © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
[All flowers from Cel Robertson's organic flower farm in Norfolk - Forever Green Flower Company.]

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

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

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

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