This week 'Do-It-Yourself Flower Tips and Inspiration' - is pretty much all red - I have more of the same branches from before but I'm also featuring some different ones.
It's a combination of Crab Apples, Rose Hips, Ilex branches and Cornus alba and they all feature red in some form or another - apples, hips, berries or branches.
You can read about the Crab Apples and the Rose Hips in a previous blog post.
With all of these branches you'll need a strong pair of scissors or a pair of secateurs to cut the stems. Before you put them in water - make a vertical cut up the stem to help the plant absorb more water.
Enjoy your flower arranging!With all of these branches you'll need a strong pair of scissors or a pair of secateurs to cut the stems. Before you put them in water - make a vertical cut up the stem to help the plant absorb more water.
The Ilex verticillata is a deciduous holly that loose it's leaves in late autumn to expose clusters of bright red berries on bare stems that lasts throughout the winter.
Like a lot of different flowers don't expose the berries to ethylene gas or it will cause the berries to drop - so don't put the arrangement next to the fruit bowl.
Ilex will last in a vase for between 7-14 days - so they are great value for money. They also come with berries in deep gold and yellow gold - if you are not keen on the red.
The Cornus alba or Dogwood as they are commonly called - there are many different types but this one with it's red winter stems is quite dramatic. It has long almost perfectly straight leafless stems. It can last for up to three weeks in a vase - so also god value for money. These straight branches also come in green and yellow.
All these branches will happily mix with other flowers and they last for several weeks - so perfect to buy before Christmas and they will last well into the new year.
Titti and I will be back on Friday with another FLOWERS with a new and different theme.
~ xoxo ~
Ingrid
[Styling and Photography: © Ingrid Henningsson/Of Spring and Summer.]
