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:

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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 91 - Colourful Parrot Tulips

I'm staying with tulips for one more week - so in this 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I'm featuring some very colourful parrot tulips.

The vase I'm using also follows on from last week - it's the well known Savoy vase designed in 1937 by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

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.

Parrot tulips are a group of spectacular and flamboyant flowered cultivar of tulips. Each one is unique with its irregular shape and attractively fringed petals. The petals can also be feathered, curled, twisted or wavy.

It's believed that their name comes from their resemblance to parrots - both the feathers and the bird's beak.

The Savoy vase has a wavy shape - but the sides are straight. This particular vase is only 12 cm tall so if you cut the stems quite short it will keep the flowers very nicely contained - almost in an upright position. 

 I have styled the flowers with a selection of items in different matching red colours.

This red beaded tea-light holder is one of the many things I have found at the charity store. It gives off a glimmering glow that is beautiful at night.

The large red beads are from a bracelet that broke. I liked the individual beads - so I kept them and I have continued to enjoy them for what they are - just simple colourful beads.

The huge variety of colour and style plus the long season make tulips one of the most versatile and inexpensive flowers around. 

So why not go out and buy a bunch this weekend!

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

Tiny Blooms - # 31 - Large Parrot Tulips

This series of blog posts - called 'Tiny Blooms' - are about small flower arrangements. Small - might be the size of the container or it could be the size of the flowers or the amount of stems. 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!

I know this series of blog posts are called 'Tiny Blooms' - so why am I featuring Large Parrot Tulips. Well, if you have followed 'Tiny Blooms' - you know that it's not really always about small or tiny flowers but more about simplicity. 

The lovely Cel Robertson from Forever Green Flower Company gave this bunch of parrot tulips to me last Saturday, at our local farmers' market. She was reluctant to put them on the compost heap and asked if I could make use of them. Well, my answer was of course "Yes, please"! 

I removed the foliage, trimmed the stems and put them in a large clear glass, vintage pickling jar. What could be more simple?

I also added a bit of vintage lace, which made it almost look like a Dutch flower painting.  

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

I'll be be back on Wednesday with more floral delight from Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration 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 - # 103 - by Ariella Chezar

"Is there anything that can transform a moment, a morning, a mood, or a space as instantly as an array of fresh flower? Their colour and aliveness, their fragrance, their movement, their ability to attract the eye (and distract it!), and the sheer sensual pleasure they give make them nearly miraculous."

~ Ariella Chezar ~ 

[Ariella Chezar: American, master floral designer and teacher at Flower School New York. She is frequently featured in magazines and has arranged flower arrangements for the White House. She is also the author of two books Flowers for the Table (2002) and The Flower Workshop (2016).]

[Quote from: The Flower Workshop.]

[Flowers: Light pink parrot tulips.]

[Container: Large vintage clear glass pickling jar.]

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

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral Sunday!

I'll see you tomorrow with some more floral delights from Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

For more floral inspiration 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 - # 97 - by Jane Packer

"Ever-graceful and hugely versatile, tulips are cultivated in a rich variety of colours, shapes and sizes. More unusual examples include ornate parrot tulips with serrated edges, and double blooms with extra layers of petals. When using tulips in formal arrangements, be aware that once placed in water, all varieties will grow about 5 cm (2 in), and the heads will incline toward the light. Always look for a strong, firm leaf as a sign of quality."

~ Jane Packer ~ 

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

[Quote from: Fast Flowers by Jane Packer (1998).]

[Flowers: Pink, green and white parrot tulips with white edged leaves.] 

[Vase: Mini Alvar Aalto white Savoy vase.]

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

Have a fabulous floral Sunday!

I'll see you again next week.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

You can also find me on:

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

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

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

Tiny Blooms - # 18 - Parrot Tulips

This series of blog posts - called 'Tiny Blooms - are about small flower 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 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!

This is a bunch of stunningly beautiful and wild looking parrot tulips. This one is multicoloured - it's mostly red but it also has yellow, green and deep purple colouring on the petals. It has these pretty crazy frilled, twisted and curled edges to the petals. Even some of the foliage has splits that almost looks like the leaf is torn - but that is just part of the flower! 

I like this little metal vase that has the name of flowers along the top. It's perfect for a bunch of tulips - it holds the stems firmly in place and supports the long stems - it's also tall enough so you don't have to cut the stems too much.

To condition the flowers just take off any broken or torn leaves, trim the stems at an angle and put them in a clean vase with plenty of fresh water. Change the water every two days and re-cut the stems while you are changing the water. Remember that tulips continue to grow in the vase so if they start bending over - you have two choices. Embrace the look and enjoy the curved tulip stems or you can cut some more off the bottom - and let the vase support the stems and keep the flowers under control!

Whichever look you decide to go for - enjoy your tulips! 

Have a Lovely Floral Monday!

I'll be back later in the week with more floral delights from 

Of Spring and Summer.

[Styling and Photography: © 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 - # 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]

Flowers of the Month - February 2015

Take 3 Flowers! - Red and Pink Roses with Green Foliage

2 February

I'm back with 'Flowers of the Month' - where I'm highlighting all the different flowers I have featured during the month of February.

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.

A Bunch for the Weekend - A Bunch of Parrot Tulips

7 February

Tiny Blooms - Snowdrops

9 February

A Bunch for the Weekend - Hot Pink Hyacinths

12 February

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Happy Valentine's Day!

14 February

Take 3 Flowers! - White Chrysanthemums, Eucalyptus and Bear Grass

16 February

A Bunch for the Weekend - Pale Pink Cloni Ranunculus

21 February

Tiny Blooms - Pink Primula

23 February

FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Time for Bulbs!

25 February

A Bunch for the Weekend - Hot Pink Tulips in a Cup

27 February

I hope you have enjoyed the month of February with all the early spring flowers. 

Now there is definitely a feeling of spring in the air!

Here are a few links to last years 'Flowers of the Month' to enjoy: 

August Flowers 2014

September Flowers 2014

October Flowers 2014

November Flowers 2014

December Flowers 2014

Have a wonderful Floral Sunday! 

I will be back next month with another 'Flowers of the Month' - but before that I will see you again next week!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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