FLOWERS by ingrid & titti - Spring Bulbs

The theme this week on FLOWERS is Spring Bulbs - as many of them are starting to appear both in the garden and in the shops.

They are also one of the most welcoming signs that spring is finally on its way. 

Titti and I decide on a theme a few weeks in advance so its not always easy to predict what is going to be available and in flower. We like to go with the seasons and right now most bulbs are still in tight bud - they are still beautiful but not as colourful as I wanted them to be. 

I did find some daffodils in flower - its the little mini one called Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête' - which is one of my favourite daffodils. I love it because of its small size and the fact that it often has two flowers on the same stem. It's also one of the earliest to flower in the spring.

I replanted them in a zinc planter and covered the soil and most of the bulbs with moss just to give it a neat finish. The moss I had was leftover from Christmas - still nice and green - probably because I have kept it outside in the cold. 

I also decorated the planter with some washi tape around the top edge. 

A vintage paperback book of French poems from the charity store and my Grandfathers glasses is a nice contrast to the bright yellow little daffodils.

With my second arrangement I have to admit that I cheated. The white hyacinths are not planted in the basket - instead I bought them as cut flowers and I put them in a high and wide container. The container is well hidden in the basket and as a little decoration I added a pretty ribbon on the side and a fabric in the same colour.

When you buy hyacinths as cut flowers today at the flower market, supermarket or florist they often come with part of the bulb still attached. Try not to cut or trim the ends of the hyacinths - leaving the base of the bulb intact greatly prolongs the life of the flowers.

When you leave part of the bulb on the flower they naturally will take up a lot more space in the vase. So its not going to work if you intend to make an arrangement in a narrow necked vase - in that case you need to trim the bottom of the stems. 

The height of the vase or container will also be important to consider when you are not trimming the end of the stems. They are both top and bottom heavy - so its necessary to use a vase with high sides for support. 

Here is a link to Titti's blog - HWIT BLOGG - so you can go over and see what she has done with her Spring Bulbs.

And you can also find our previous FLOWERS - here, here, here and here.

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[Ribbon from Jane Means' ribbon collection.]

[Fabric from Sarah Hardaker's fabric collection.]

[Vintage props from 'My Prop Cupboard'.]

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

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Have a Great Floral Day!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid

Florets - Floral Quote # 44 by Paula Pryke

"Using Moss. In winter I find myself using moss in far larger quantities than at any other time of the year, both as a base and as part of the design. For the flower arranger there are several important types of moss. The clump-forming bun moss or looser flatter carpet moss are great for covering bulbs or mechanics in arrangements. Sometimes we use decorative green bun moss as part of the design, as its deep green velvety texture adds depth to arrangements."

~ Paula Pryke ~

[Paula Pryke: British, London based florist, founder of Paula Pryke Flower Shop and School; and author of fifteen books.]

[Quote: From Flowers Every Day by Paula Pryke.]

[Flowers and moss: White waxflowers and carpet moss.]

[Vase: Off-white bulb vase and white plate for the moss.]

[Vintage props: Psalm books and gold baubles.]

[Other props: Black and white fabric with snowflakes, tea-lights with washi tape and black and gold twine around vase.]

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

Have A Wonderful Floral Sunday!

See you soon!

xoxo Ingrid