Flowers of the Month - December 2016

It's almost the last day of December and it's 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.

A Bunch for the Weekend - Winter Bouquet

Florets - Floral Quote by Malin Hidesäter

Creative with Flowers - Pink Tulips

A Bunch for the Weekend - Paperwhites

Florets - Floral Quote by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo

Creative with Flowers - White Amaryllis

A Bunch for the Weekend - Blue Hyacinths

Florets - Floral Quote by Hege Barnholt

Creative with Flowers - Pink Hyacinths

Happy Christmas! - Ilex Berries

Happy New Year! - Fruiting Eucalyptus 

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

Thank you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer - I will be back tomorrow with some end of years words. I'll 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.

P. S. If you are looking for more floral inspiration you can go over and have a look at my Pinterest boards. I have just over 200 boards all relating to flowers, floral 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/

Creative with Flowers - # 28 - White Amaryllis

This week on 'Creative with Flowers' - I'm featuring some gorgeous white Amaryllis. It's such a perfect flower for this time of year. Easy to look after - you just need to know a few little tricks and all will be well!

This series of blog posts - called 'Creative with Flowers' - are about using flowers in new and creative ways. It could be about how the flowers are combined - maybe in a little bit of an unusual way. It might be the choice of vase - maybe not a vase at all but a container that could be anything from jugs, bottles, jars, tins or teapots - vintage or new it doesn't matter. 

As always my arrangements will be quick and easy - and there will always be lots and lots of colour!

Amaryllis must be the perfect flower - easy to condition, there are no leaves to remove, the flowers don't open up all at the same time, they last for a long time and you just need a few stems as each stem has several flowers - so it makes a big impact.

This particular white Amaryllis has some green colouration inside the flowers fading to white. So I have added a few muted green vintage bottles and bowls. 

At this time of year I crave candles and I will always light some in the evenings.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when you use Amaryllis as a cut flower. 

If you are making a tall arrangement put a thin bamboo stick up the stem to prevent the stems from breaking. The flower heads become very heavy and if there is no support the stems can break.

If you are making a short arrangement where the stems are supported by the side of the vase there is no need to do this.

Another advise you see is to fill the hollow stems with water. Simply turn the flower upside down, fill with water, plug the opening with some cotton wool , keep your thumb over the opening and quickly place in the vase. 

You also need to put a rubber band around the bottom of the stems to prevent the stems curling up. Floral tape also works well. Remember that the tape or the rubber band might be visible through a clear glass vase so you might want to use some other type of vase or container. 

I always cut the bottom of the stems straight across with a sharp knife on a cutting board - not at an angle. As the bottom of the flower stems tend to curl up - it will look much neater with a straight cut and easier to keep the rubber band or tape in place.  

Another thing I also do is that I remove the anthers filled with pollen as soon as a bud has opened up. This is to prevent the pollen falling on tablecloths and clothing. 

Trim off any faded flowers and enjoy the remaining flower heads.

In this arrangement I have only used three stems but each one has four flowers so altogether I have twelve  flower heads - I call that good value for money!

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral Wednesday!

Thanks you for visiting 'Of Spring and Summer'. I will be back later in the week with more floral delights. I'll 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 and an email will come right into your inbox.

For more floral inspiration you can follow me on:

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

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

Florets - Floral Quote - # 133 - by Malin Hidesäter

"The Amaryllis is a bulbous plant that has become increasingly popular as a cut flower. New varieties and colours are being introduced each year and there seems to be no end to the inventiveness of the breeders: there are single and double amaryllis, large or small bells, striped and streaked ones and they come in red, purple, orange, pink and white. The amaryllis is such a grand flower in its own right it scarcely needs other flowers. Even so, a little foliage, like olive branches or eucalyptus, can look beautiful. When you buy amaryllis there is often a stick inside the stalk and a rubber band at the end. Leave these in place: the stick supports the stalk and the rubber band prevents it curling up. The season for amaryllis is September until the end of May but it is most common around Christmas. It lasts for up to two weeks."

~ Malin Hidesäter ~ 

[Malin Hidesäter: Swedish florist, flower expert, stylist, TV presenter and author of two books - Flower Power and Krukväxter.]

[Quote from: Flower Power (2007) by Malin Hidesäter and Anna Skoog.]

[Flowers: White Amaryllis.]

[Container: Tall clear glass cylinder.]

[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 will be back tomorrow Monday with another 'Floral Media' this time it's a short video on how to make your own Christmas wreath.  

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

Flowers of the Month - December 2015

2 December - DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration - White Amaryllis

It's the end of December and I'm here again with 'Flowers of the Month' - where I'm featuring all the different flowers and floral arrangements I have posted during the month of December. It's been quite a few blog posts this month with lots of amazing and colourful autumn and winter flowers available. I've been able to create, style and photograph a great deal so there are a few blog posts to cover.

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.

4 December - A Bunch for the Weekend - Pink Ranunculus and Eucalyptus

6 December - Florets - Floral Quote by Malin Hidesäter

7 December - Tiny Blooms - Dark Pink Anemones

9 December - The Monthly List - December 2015

11 December - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Flowers and Candles

13 December - Floral Quote by Selina Lake

14 December - Tiny Blooms - Holly and Rose Hips

18 December - A Bunch for the Weekend - White Tulips and White Hyacinths

23 December - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Happy Christmas!

31 December - FLOWERS by ingrid and titti - Happy New Year!

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

Have a Great Floral Day!

I will be back again at the end of January with another 'Flowers of the Month'. Before that I'm back tomorrow with some greetings for the new year. 

~ 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

DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration - #15 - White Amaryllis

This week my 'DIY Flower Tips and Inspiration' - is about how to make the flowers on your Amaryllis last a bit longer.

The Amaryllis usually have several flowers on each stem - that opens up one after the other - not all at the same time. As the flowers continue to open - you need to remove the old spent flowers. You can use a knife or a pair of scissors. Do it carefully - the little short individual flower stems sit very close together!

Then comes the moment when there is only one or two flowers left on each stem and the whole arrangement starts to look a bit sparse! 

What you can do is to simply cut the remaining flowers off the stem and put them in either their own individual vase, jar or container or put a few in each. 

They will last for a few more days and looks lovely grouped together on a tray or in a row on a table. The flowers are so big, that even as single flowers in their own little container on a small side-table, they will have enough impact to make an impression. 

Enjoy your flower arranging!

I will be back on Friday with another 'A Bunch for the Weekend'.

~ 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