Floral Media - McQueens Flowers Create a Simple Grouping

This time on 'Floral Media' we are taking a look at a range of beautifully pale flowers in understated pale vases. It's Rodney at the London florist McQueens', who makes five pretty flower arrangements in five different vases.

The vases vary in shape and height but are in similar colours - off-white and light grey. 

The flowers he is using are very light pink almost white ranunculus, variegated pink tulips, pale pink roses and again pale pink lilac.

Keeping the vases and the flowers pale in colour but when grouped together has a lot of impact and a great amount of texture and visual variation. 

Here you can have a look at some previous McQueens flower arrangements. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  

Enjoy the video, the vases and the flower arranging and have a fabulous and floral Monday!

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

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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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Floral Media - McQueens Flowers Create with Waterford Vases

This time on 'Floral Media' we are taking a look at a range of Waterford vases. It's the head tutor Wagner, at the London florist McQueens', who makes six pretty flower arrangements in six very different vases.

These vases vary from small vases for posies to round rose vases as well as tall flared vases for larger arrangements. 

It's interesting to see how different vases work so well with different flowers.

Enjoy the video, the vases and the flower arranging and have a fabulous and floral Monday!

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

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

P.S. Waterford/Purple contacted me to say how much they enjoyed my post and asked if I would include Waterfords social media handles. Which I happily do here: Instagram : @waterfordeurope, Twitter: @Waterford_UK, Facebook: Waterford Europe

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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Tiny Blooms - # 25 - Blue Hyacinths in Blue Vase

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!

In this simple and easy arrangement I'm combining two different blue hyacinths with a collection of blue and white china. The vase I've used is a vintage 1930's ridged blue vase from Sweden.

Hyacinths are fabulous at this time of year. They take a few days to open up so you have to have some patience. Also good to know if you are going to use them for a special occasion. You need to buy them a few days before and give them time to open up and look their best. 

The advice you get is to leave the bulb-bit at the end of the stems. Sometimes its not always practical - if you are using a vase with a narrow neck it might be difficult to fit them in or if you are using a clear glass vase - it might look a bit untidy.


Hyacinths look very good on their own in a vase or jug but for a spring display mix them with anemones or ranunculus. Change water every two days and keep them cool at night. The flowers are very long-lasting, easy to look after and on top of that - they have an incredible scent!
   

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral Wednesday!

I'll see you again on Friday with another FLOWERS from Titti and I.

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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

For more floral inspiration follow me on:

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Floral Media - Flower Agenda - week 5-8 - Rose

For the second year in a row I'll be doing the Flower Council of Holland's monthly information about cut flowers. Its called The Flower Agenda. I'll be covering 15 different flowers during 2016. Last month it was the Tulip and this month it's the Rose.

The rose goes back to Roman, Greek and Egyptian times - but was not introduced to Europe until the 16th century. 

The rose is often called the Queen of Flowers - it is available to buy twelve months of the year and is bought for all occasions from weddings, birthdays, Valentine's to funerals. 

The rose comes in many different colours and shapes - red, white, yellow, pink, purple, orange and green as well as multicoloured.  

Red roses are often associated with love - other colours have their own symbolism.

White: purity, dignity, true love.

Pink: happiness, gratitude, virtue.

Orange: longing , sympathy, longing.

Yellow: intimate friendship, solidarity  

• Look after your roses and they will last longer. 
• Remove any leaves that will end up below the water line in the vase. 
• Use a clean vase and fresh water. 
• Trim the stems with a diagonal cut. 
• Change water and re-cut stems every 2-3 days.
• Don't put roses in direct sunlight, in a drought or near any source of heat.
• Don't place roses near a bowl of fruit. 

Roses are perfect for making classic bouquets - but they can also be combined with lots of other flowers to make something less traditional.

Add lilacs, stock flowers or gerberas or like in the next two images a whole host of flowers mixed with roses to make stunning and unusual bouquets.

Have a Lovely Floral Monday!

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

Of Spring and Summer.

Ingrid

~ xoxo ~

[All images provided by The Flower Council of Holland.]

You can also find me on:

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Flowers of the Month - August/September 2015

8 August - Floral Media - Flower Agenda - Hydrangea

It's the end of September and I'm back with 'Flowers of the Month' - where I'm featuring all the different flowers and floral arrangements I have posted during August and September.

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.

12 August - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Flowers in August - Pink Dahlia 

26 August - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Late Summer Colours - Hydrangea

18 September - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Autumn Dreams - Dahlia

20 September - Florets - Floral Quote by The Flower Appreciation Society - Pink and White Dahlia

21 September - Floral Media - Flower Agenda - Chrysanthemums

23 September - Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and Inspiration - # 8 - Zinnia

25 September - A Bunch for the Weekend - # 59 - Ornamental Cabbage

27 September - Florets - Floral Quote by Lotta Jansdotter - Alchemilla mollis and Agapanthus

28 September - Floral Media - Flower Agenda - Alstroemeria

I hope you have enjoyed all the flower arrangements from the last two months as much as I have enjoyed created them. 

Have a Great Floral Day!

I will be back again at the end of October with another 'Flowers of the Month'. Before that Titti and I will be back on Friday with another FLOWERS. 

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson - Of Spring and Summer.]
[Images of 1, 6 and 10 are provided by The Flower Council of Holland.]

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FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Late Summer Colours

This weeks theme for FLOWERS is - 'Late Summer Colours'.

My inspiration comes from not only one of my favourite flowers - but also a few of my favourite things that I have collected over the years. 

The gorgeous flowers are some Hydrangea macrophylla in pink and purple colours. The flowers were sold as one bunch but two stems were pink, two stems purple and the fifth stem was both pink and purple. Hydrangea macrophylla is an unusual plant in sense that the flowers change colour depending on the acidity or alkalinity in the soil.

I love the grey colour of the French vintage enamelled jug. It's not too light and not too dark - perfect colour to use with a lot of bright flowers.

The black plate with the purple flowers is bought in Mexico on one of my many trips to California while visit my husband's family.  

White and grey marble is a perfect surface to use as a background when you take photographs of both flowers and food. It's neutral but with interesting variation in colour and texture and the pink stems shows up well against the marble.

The black basket is made from telephone wires by Zulu craftsmen in South Africa and the stool is designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Alto. 

I very much enjoy the mix of things from different parts of the world and different cultures.

The off-white painted wood panel, the marble tabletop, the grey container and all the black works as an interesting background for the pink and purple colours of the late summer flowering Hydrangeas.

Please, have a look at Titti's blog HWIT BLOGG and see how she has worked around the theme of 'Late Summer Colours'. 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

I will be back soon with more floral delights.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

You can also find me on:

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

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FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Flowers in August

My Swedish collaborator Titti Malmberg and I are back with a new season of FLOWERS.

Over the spring and summer there has been quite a lot of changes in Titti and my lives. Titti has made a move - away from the island of Öland - where she had lived for many years. She has moved a bit further south on the mainland but still lives along the coast.

I have started to train as a florist and did a Certificate in Floral Design during the spring. I will continue with a more advanced level soon. In the summer months we have had some long overdue work done on our house and garden and at times it has been like living on a building site - but hopefully it will look great once its all done.

The theme for this FLOWERS is 'Flowers in August' - and I have chosen to feature three late summer flowers - Dahlias, Sedum and Snapdragons.

I still have limited access to all my props and my 'photography studio' - but I was able to find a pretty basket, a large glass jar and two white vases.

Using a basket to display your flowers in you will need to put the flowers in a waterproof container of some sort. I just used a low wide glass jar. The flowers look pretty just resting on the edge of the basket.

The light pink Snapdragons or Antirrhinum, which is the botanical name, is a lovely contrast to the dark pink Dahlias and the still green Sedum.

I arranged the large pink and yellow Dahlias in two vintage vases. The two white vases are the same colour, has narrow necks and both has deep ridges all the way around but they have different shapes.

The Dahlias came with plenty of leaves and quite a few buds - but I removed all that as I just wanted the large flowers. I also cut the stems short as I wanted the flowers to sit just above the top of the vase.

I used three Dahlias in each vase - remember the rule of uneven numbers - use three, five or seven flowers - it looks more natural and is easier on the eye.

Three flower heads fitted snugly in the neck of the vase and gives the arrangement a feeling of being large and generous.  

The last arrangement is a little bit of an exploration on an idea that I had. I started off with a very large straight-sided vintage pickling jar. 

I divided up the flowers and cut the stems three different lengths. I filled the jar with just a little bit of water. The short ones went in the bottom of the jar, the medium length went half way up the jar and the longest at the top. 

The longer stems are hidden by the shorter flowers - so what you have is 'a jar full of flowers'. This is not an arrangement that will last very long. Flowers needs air circulating around them so you run the risk of of the flowers inside the jar going a bit 'soggy'. But its a fun and different way of displaying flowers.  

Please, go over to HWIT BLOGG and have a look at how Titti has interpreted the theme of 'Flowers in August'. 

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a great floral day!

I will be back soon with more floral delights.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

[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 - # 56 - Sweet Peas and Alchemilla mollis

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' I'm featuring some fabulous Sweet Peas in two different colours in combination with the always lovely Alchemilla mollis.

Sweet Peas comes in many, many different colours and they are all fabulous whatever colour you choose. Here I have chosen two in contrasting colours - a light pink one and a very dark, deep purple.

You'll need:

- 10 stems of pink Sweet Peas.

- 7 stems of Sweet Peas in a contrasting colour

- 5 stems of Alchemilla mollis 

- One medium sized vase in a neutral colour for the larger arrangement.

-one small vase also in a neutral colour for a small side arrangement.  

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.

I have picked some neutral coloured vases so not to distract from the beautiful colours of the flowers. A light grey one with faint white stripes from a charity store and a new little mini vase in white.

The large arrangement is simply made straight in the vase. Alternate the Sweet Peas and the Alchemilla mollis so that there is a good mix and so that the flowers look like they are floating in a froth of lime-green. 

The small arrangement is made up of small off cuts left over while making the large arrangement. I'm loath to throw any still fresh looking flowers away so I always make little arrangements to use on the side.

Sweetly scented Sweet Peas is an old favourite and have very delicate flowers that makes them perfect for a early summer bouquet. Grab some while you can and enjoy their scent and beauty!   

Enjoy your flower arranging!

Have a Great Floral Saturday and a Happy Weekend!

I will see you next week with more Do-It-Yourself flowers from 'Of Spring and Summer'.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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

You can also find me on:
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A Bunch for the Weekend - # 53 - More Scented Pink Stock Flowers

I have fallen in love!! Well, with a flower. So for the second time this week I'm featuring scented stock flowers. On 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I have created four arrangements using stock flowers in two different pink colours.

Earlier this week I went to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The show takes place every year in May here in London. I've been going every year for over twenty years now.  

For the third year in a row Marks and Spencer had put on a stunning display of flowers in The Great Pavilion. All the flowers they featured this year were grown in the UK and the display was called 'Blooms of the British Isles'. 

I was so inspired that I a few days later went to my local Marks and Spencer and bought four bunches of stock flowers to use for this weekends little project.

You'll need:

- 24 stems of stock in two different bright pink

- a large clear glass round container - here I have used a big vintage pickling jar

- two small vases and a small bowl 

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.

I wanted to show different ways to display stock flowers in different size vases and containers.

Most of the stems I kept tall and displayed in an old very large, clear glass pickling jar.

A few stems I cut down quite short and put in a small vintage fish-paste glass jar. 

Three of the light pink stems I displayed in an Alvar Alto mini vase that my daughter found for me at a London antique market. In this vase the stems stays quite straight echoing the shape of the vase.

I mentioned earlier this week how fragile stock flowers are and how easy it is to break off individual flowers when you handle them. Here is a link to that post.

Don't throw them away - put them in a small bowl of water and enjoy the flowers in a different way.

I have also just scattered a few on the table - just for fun.

I hope you can find some inspiration from all the different ways I have displayed these beautiful scented stock flowers.

Combining flowers with different containers becomes a way of working and being creative with flowers.

And more then anything else have fun while you are doing it! 

Have a Great Floral Saturday and a Happy Weekend!

I will see you next week with more DIY flowers from 

'Of Spring and Summer'.

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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


You can also find me on:

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