Author Archives: alec

How to Revive Your Cut Flowers

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So you buy some fresh cut flowers for your home and pop them straight in the vase on the dinner table.

But the next day some are looking rather droopy and sorry for themselves.

But how can this be?!

Don’t worry, it happens to us all. You’ve come to the right place.

Here’s our top tips for reviving your cut flowers to help them go the distance!

bouquet

Wilted Flowers

Droopy flower heads can give us all the heebie-jeebies. However, it just means that the flowers aren’t getting enough water to the head. This can be because of a trapped air bubble in the stem.

Here’s what to do:

  • Clean your vase and add fresh cold water and flower food.
  • Cut 6-7cm off the bottom of your wilted flowers at an angle. Use sharp secateurs rather than scissors as even sharp scissors may crush the stem.
  • If the flowers have a heavy head, like a rose, trim the stem at an angle. Then take a piece of newspaper and snuggly make a cone wrap round the heads. Stand them in water for a good few hours, overnight is best, for a good long drink. After that, take the paper off, trim the stems at an angle again and place back in the vase.
  • Flowers like hydrangea, which have heavy heads and sensitive, light petals, lose lots of water through their petals. If yours have wilted, fill your sink up with cool water and fully submerge the whole head
  • After 10 minutes take it out and shake off the excess water, trim the stem at an angle and wait for the bloom to transform back into its former glory. This normally takes a number of hours so relax and have some tea and a nap in the meantime. If this trick doesn’t work, there’s a chance they may have been left a bit too long.
wilting flowers
wilting flowers

Brown Petals

It’s completely natural to find brown petals on flowers as time goes on. Best thing to do is to remove the individual petal as this will allow the flower to give more energy to the petals that need it. Taking off brown petals will also stop it spreading quickly to the rest of the flower too.

brown petals
brown petals

Dead Heads

Many flowers like lilies, snapdragons, spray roses and others have multiple flowering heads on one stem. Most of these flowers (although there are exceptions) also bloom from the bottom up, which means that generally it will always be the lower flowers that will pop first.

Once a bloom has died back, cut it off near the stem to remove the whole head. Dead heading is quite important for two reasons. The first is that the flower will then redirect the energy it has to the blooms next up on the stem. Secondly, dying blooms release Ethylene which is a gas that makes flowers decay faster.

dead heads
dead heads

We hope this has dispelled some mysteries for you!

If you need any assistance with specific flowers, please feel free to send us an email and we’ll be happy to help.

A Table without Flowers. Never!

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It’s been a long time of being cooped up and not being able to hang out with our friends.

But that seems to be changing, thank heavens!

For many, Easter was a time to let loose and celebrate with all things beautiful, especially those nearests and dearests!

It's almost becoming a novelty to have dinner at the table these days. So occasions when you're having a bunch of friends and family around is a great opportunity to dress yourself and your table up.

Here are some fun ideas on table settings you may want to try for your next ‘do’.

Whether that be a boujee breakfast/lunch/dinner for no particular reason or next Easter… You can always sub the eggs in these ideas for some other tasty treats. Or ornamental things such as pretty stones or natural treasures.

Spring Flowers in China Cups

Mini bunches of spring flowers in old china look so charming. And it doesn’t just have to be in the cups. The milk jug and sugar bowl make even more interesting receptacles.

Tulips Galore

Massive bunches of tulips are always a hit. White is glorious, as are all the others. Take your pick and pair with candles for a nostalgic vibe.

Spring Flowers in China Cups

Tulips Galore

Tulips Galore

 

Bright and Cheerful Blooms

A juicy mix of cheery coloured blooms and complimentary foliage go well with whites. Simplicity is the key.

Dried Mixed Posies

Posies of dried flowers always go down well and bring a cosy, nostalgic vibe to the gathering. Pair with lacy doilies and vintage china tea cups and you’re in for a royal time.

Bright and Cheerful Blooms

Bright and Cheerful Blooms

Dried Mixed Posies

Dried Mixed Posies

Dried Hydrangea

Speaking of dry flowers, if you happen to have some dried hydrangea on hand they’ll be a great addition to your table. In fact, hydrangea make great decorative pieces in the home and any occasion as they last for years and have been known to maintain their colour for quite a long time. Here they fit in beautifully with bamboo handled cutlery and vintage floral china crockery.

Simple Sprigs

If you’re wanting to go for a classic, timeless and natural look, the elegant simplicity of rosemary is a winner. Especially with some fern in the centre to bring it all together.

Dried Hydrangea

Dried Hydrangea

Simple Sprigs

Simple Sprigs

Greens by the Glass

Gorgeous green foliage, herbs and other green edibles in clear glasses are chic looking yet understated. Bring some height to the tablescape with contrasting taller upcycled dark glass bottles holding minimalistic branches. You can also add in any succulents or cactus or other small house plants you may have to the table.

Et voila! You’ve just created a clean, fresh look with a bit of quirk for good measure.

Bunny Ears and Blue

We just love these bunny-ear napkins with beautiful blue chintz eggs. With blue and white blooms to match of course. And bunny ears always go down well, so we see them fitting in on any occasion, not just around Easter time.

Greens by the Glass

Greens by the Glass

Bunny ears and Blue

Bunny ears and Blue

Happy decorating and celebrating!

And while you're at it, why not tag us on Instagram with your latest table decorations?

We'd love to see them.

Love,

The Love&Blooms Team

Love your Mum – with Flowers!

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Spring is nearly here!

But first, Mother’s Day!

How about a Mothering Sunday Bring-on-Spring Flower Festival?!

Wouldn’t that be grand?

Someone should totally do it.

I don’t know about you but I’m kind of over winter now and living in spring mode already. That means bright coloured, warm, fresh everything.

And with Mothering Sunday coming up that’s a reason to celebrate too.

 

MOTHER’S DAY MERRIMENT

Mother’s Day/Mothering Sunday is a time for celebrating and honouring those wonderful women in our lives that have kept us going through thick and thin.

It’s not just for mums. It’s for people that have a mum-like spirit too. Like nans and great nans, aunts and sisters. And that friend you always go to with exciting news or with cheese and a good w(h)ine.

A lovely hand-tied bouquet of their favourite flowers can be a great way to say you notice and appreciate these special humans.

Take your pick from our selection especially for mums:

The Untamed Rose

Awesome Roses, Happy Hydrangeas, long lasting orchids, playful Snapdragons and zesty blooms

Love Like Flowers

Ivory Roses, Hydrangeas, sweetheart Spray Roses and stunning Succulents which can be planted up and kept as a forever memento

My Enchanted Heart

Gorgeous large headed Roses, tall Snapdragons, petite Spray Roses, pretty infill flowers and scented Eucalyptus

My Fair Lady

Classic Roses, Sweetheart Spray Roses, striking Snapdragons and scented Eucalyptus

My Happy Place

Blousy Roses, sweet scented Waxflower, Snapdragons and cute Craspedia spheres

 

KEEP ‘EM FRESH

If you are the lucky recipient of such a beautiful gift you’ll want them to last forever. Unfortunately, as we all know, flowers don’t last forever unless they are in the ground, dried or cryogenically frozen.

Give your cut flowers the best start and help them last longer like so:

  • Remove the packaging which has protected them on their journey
  • Choose a vase and wash it thoroughly with soapy water
  • Add cold water and the flower food sachet to the vase
  • Remove any excess leaves sitting below the waterline. The leaves also draw waterand nutrients so it is best to remove only the ones that don’t enhance your arrangement as well as the ones that will be under the water as they’ll make the water go murky faster
  • Hand-tied Bouquets – don’t cut the string that holds your bouquet together. Your flowers have been designed and styled for you so keep this on
  • Snip 2cm off the end of all the stems with scissors. Try and cut at an angle. This increases the surface area for your flowers to drink from
  • Hand-tied Bouquets – Pop it straight into the vase as is
  • Letterbox Flowers – Place your foliage into the vase first to make a bed that you can then nestle the flowers into
  • Check every day if the water needs topping up
  • Keep them away from sources of heat, direct light, cold draughts and fruit
  • Remove any deteriorating blooms as soon as you notice them

 

And of course, all the while, be sure to smile at your blooms and remember the lovely human they came from.

Let the Blooms Speak this Valentines

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Has this Valentine’s day got you stumped for words?

Never fear when flowers are near - let them blooms do the talking!

These days most of us don’t think further than the style and colour when deciding what blooms to buy.

But back in Victorian times flowers had a lot to say.

THE BLOOMS SPEAK

Assigning meaning to specific flowers to communicate feelings and thoughts is known as “floriography” and it became not just a craze, but one of the main ways people chose to communicate at that time.

Although floriography dates back to the 1700s in Turkey, the Victorian era was a time when this form of communication became really popular. This happened after Lady Mary Wortley Montagu visited Turkey and discovered the way harem girls communicated with each other – sending secret messages via flowers.

She wrote:

“There is no colour, no flower, no weed, no fruit, herb, pebble, or feather, that has not a verse belonging to it; and you may quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news, without ever inking your fingers.”

WHAT THE BLOOMS SAY

So if you received a bunch of flowers like this:

Red roses (passion and love)

+ Dianthus (love, affection, gratitude and admiration)

+ Blush Tulips (pure, deep, unconditional love/commitment/eternal bonds)

+ Pink Limonium (success, beauty, sympathy, and remembrance. Also ''I miss you''. Called the “everlasting flower” because of the pretty calyx that stays on the flower even after the flower has dried up)

You could be sure potential love was on the horizon…

But be careful because the meaning can differ depending on the colour. So while you’d be happy to receive the blush tulips above, you might not be so pleased with yellow tulips - they’ve been said to say “hopeless love”….

When it comes to vegetables, you’d be well chuffed if presented with a bunch of asparagus as they've been associated with luxury, prosperity, abundance and desire.

And if someone gave you lemons you'd be forgiven for being confused. On one hand they’ve come to symbolise luxury, love and longevity but also sourness and disappointment.

So why not send a bunch of flowers (with asparagus) instead of that text? Much more fun. And make your own card with lemons on…?

THE BUNCHES WE GOT

You can’t go wrong with roses and we’ve got bunches of bouquets with roses in to help you get the message across this Valentine’s Day.

Here’s a few of them (pictured right):

Passion

Velvet Red Roses

+ Complimentary greenery

Romeo & Juliet

Red Roses

+ pink Limonium

Love Actually

Red Roses

+ pink Limonium

+ Foliage

P.S. I Love You

A red Rose

+ light pink Sweetheart Spray Roses

+ Dianthus

+ blush Tulips

+ Limonium

+ foliage

 

Which one's your favourite?

Just click on a pic and it'll take you straight to the shop.

Happy picking!

P.S. Wasn't 'Love Actually" just the best movie? You can't go wrong with a cast of Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth. Well maybe you could but then there's always flowers to make it better.

 

What Blooms in Winter?

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With all the ways we do our bit for the planet – reusing, recycling, composting, walking – why not add “buy seasonal flowers” to that list?

And when the weather is dreary, brightly coloured plant-life smiling at you from a nearby vase can uplift the most miserable mood. Flowers have an uncanny ability to perk us up.

But with all the winteriness going on now you might be wondering if there are any flowers blooming now. Have all the flowers gone?

Are any flowers blooming in winter?

Well, the short answer is yes!

Whether you just want a pretty bouquet of flowers on your desk or dinner table or you’re planning on tying the knot – why choose the “flown-in” route?

Choose to go with the eco-friendly flow and fly with the season. It’s better for the earth, your mind, your pocket.

Also, with weddings, isn’t it true that something personalised goes a long way? Traditional and classic (red roses and baby’s breath) is making way for individualised and quirky (wild flowers and foliage).

In fact, many weddings happen in winter and having the usual lilies, roses or carnations can be more pricey options.

A bouquet of winter-flowering Hellebores, for instance, is a fabulous choice as they start blooming from December in the UK. And they’re easy to grow in the garden or a pot.

Here’s some other winter flowering options to choose from:

Seasonal Locals

You might have some of these flowering in your garden now. Otherwise you should be able to source most of them locally in the winter. Hellebores, narcissus, anemones, catkins, ranunculus, amaryllis, waxflower, loropetalum, hypericum berries, ivy berries, witchhazel, snowdrops and edgeworthia are all available now. And for some foliage fillers you can use ferns, silver eucalyptus, rosemary.

Mix them like this:

Green hellebores + Fern + Eucalyptus

Anemones + Hypericum Berries + Narcissus

Catkins + Ranunculus

Witch hazel + Fern + Ivy Berries

Fern + Catkins + Hellebores

Snowdrops + Rosemary + Narcissus

Waxflowers + Snowdrops + Fern

Narcissus + Rosemary + Architectural looking bare branches

Heather + Narcissus + Catkins

Simply Single

Simplicity is cool right now, so if you want to be cool, keep it simple and go for a whole lot of one thing. Like:

Just Hellebores

Only Anemones

Exclusively foliage (like our 'Baby Blue' eucalyptus bouquet)

Solely succulents (or add euphorbia or a bit of lavender if you must)

And again, if you MUST

When you just MUST have ALL the fresh flowers (even the ones that aren’t home-grown) roses, gerberas, carnations, lisianthus, veronica, alstroemeria and gypsophila are usually available all year round.

And our 'Admiration', 'Cherish' and 'Lovable' bouquets with some of these additions are available now too!

Dried Flowers

While some dried things leave much to be desired, flowers can be the exception.

Then again, many dry things are much sought after... fruit... wine...

So when it comes to your flowers you can dry them when they are in season for enjoyment when they’re not. Roses, sunflowers, lavender, statice, gypsophila and eryngium make great dried blooms.

 

And with that we’ll say - go on and get ‘em!