JULY SELECTION A Summer Cocktail
A Summer Cocktail JULY S THEME W H A T S I N S I D E? What s new Your flowers Arrange Learn Shop July is the perfect time to explore how to use colour well. The range of stems available to us is more bountiful than at any other time of the year, both on the flower market floor and in the garden. Colour is the most important element in any flower arrangement because it sets the mood. This month we have combined colours that we think work together, giving you the opportunity to experiment with both bright and more muted tones. There is a cocktail of colour in each box so it s a great opportunity to play around with colour in your multiple arrangements. Enjoy!
FLOWERBE UPDATES We are very excited to share our new offer this month: The Market Special. This playful box of stems will contain the Star flower, but supporting stems will change every week. It s all about the element of surprise. As members you are now able to switch effortlessly between selections within your standard subscription. Choose the arrangement that suits your mood with a simple click. This month s Journal has some beautiful lifestyle posts with ideas and shopping tips around our summer theme. Look out for the recipe of the delicious pink cocktail sitting pretty here beside our Market Special.
I T S T I M E T O G E T Creative Summer brings an opportunity for a more playful approach to your containers. Here we have used an old Greek honey pot to mass our Dahlias. Splitting up your flowers into small groups of multiples allows you to play around with different colour combinations. You can also experiment with splitting up colours and arranging in single blocks. Lilies always look lovely on their own. Combining the Dahlia and Matthiola creates a soft pretty palette that works in isolation.
T A L L SELECTION This month s Tall Selection explores the use of subtle shifts in emphasis. A spectrum of colour is all there but in quiet tones and hues. S H O R T SELECTION In contrast, the Short Selection explores how vibrant colours can sit side by side without looking garish. MARKET SPECIAL The flowers you receive this month will have different stems to the ones below. The Dahlia will be central to your design and we have also added a surprise selection of stems for you to have fun with.
MATTHIOLA INCANA APRICOT Support D A H L I A WIZARD OF OZ Star AZTEC LILY TREBBIANO CRÈME Support EUSTOMA CROMA LAVENDER Filler E U C A L Y P T U S CINEARA Foliage DAHLIA K A R M A S A N G R I A Star
ROSE COOL WATER Support WHITE SCABIOUS Filler G E N T I A N A TRUE BLUE Support GLADIOLI MINATUS ORANGE Support COCCULUS Foliage VERONICA P R I N C E S S DIANA S MEMORY Star
A quick & easy guide to ARRANGING These principles work across the whole range of offers we have this month. We ll help you get the best out of your Market Special and if you are pressed for time use this quick and easy guide for the Short or Tall selection too. Ideally you should cut your stems on arrival and allow these to settle in a bucket of cold water before you arrange. This allows the flowers to rehydrate after their journey to you. This guide is for an arrangement that will be seen in the round. STEP ONE Select your vase. Ensure it is clean and clear from any previous residue. Fill 2/3 with water. Add flower food provided. STEP THREE Cut stems at an angle to ensure water uptake. These should be cut to suit the height of your vase. Overall the design should sit 2/3 above the edge of the rim. S T E P F I V E Change direction and move inwards with other varieties. Crisscrossing your stems will create a natural scaffold and a self-supporting design. S T E P T W O Lay all your stems out on a table or counter. STEP FOUR Select the more weighty stems and spiral the stems around the inner edge of the vase. STEP SIX Stand back and look at the arrangement. If a stem looks out of place gently remove it, cut to size and replace.
SHORT Selection Remember to cut your stems at an angle to ensure maximum hydration throughout the week. S T E P O N E Select a vase of medium height but most importantly with a wide rim. At least 15cm+ in width. S T E P F I V E The lavender Eustoma will come as a multi stem. Carefully cut side shoots from the main stem. Dot these in and amongst your other flowers. S T E P E I G H T Finally place the Gladioli. These should stand proud of the more dense selection of flowers already in the vase. S T E P T W O Start with your Dahlia Karma Sangria. Spiral the stems around the inner edge of the vase. S T E P T H R E E Next take your Cool Water Roses and spiral these in the opposite direction. STEP FOUR Do the same with the Gentiana. S T E P S I X Do the same with the Eucalyptus, dividing the multi stem into single branches. S T E P S E V E N Stand back and look at the design. Place the Eucalyptus in and amongst the others. Use it to break up any solid blocks of colour.
TALL SELECTION STEP ONE Select a tall vase with a rim of at least 15cm and height to suit your Lilies. STEP FOUR Next select your Dahlia Wizard of Oz. Keep these as tall as possible and place them evenly in and around the Lily stems. STEP TWO Cut single stems to increase water uptake in the vase. Place stems in water immediately after cutting to size. STEP THREE Lilies arrive in bud but will open to fill space in the arrangement. Be mindful of this when you start your design. Start by spiralling these stems first.
STEP FIVE Your Dahlia Princess Diana s Memory comes next. These stems will arrive shorter than the Lily and create a second tier below the Lily and the taller Wizard of Oz. STEP SEVEN The Scabious will arrive as a tall delicate stem. Use the scaffolding you have now created at the base of your design to secure these in the gaps between the Lily and Dahlia heads. STEP EIGHT Step back again to consider where to place the Coculus. This should create an unobtrusive green background to the Lily foliage, adding depth to the overall design. STEP SIX Step back and look at the design. Where are the obvious gaps? This is where you start to fill the design using your Matthiola.
Caring for Your Flowers Your flowers will arrive a little tired after their journey. Most will seem limp and even droopy. It is vital that flowers are cut on arrival and given the chance to hydrate, ideally before you arrange them. Every flower has its own special needs. We would like to help you care for your flowers throughout their vase life with some simple handy tips. GENERAL GUIDE TO ALL STEMS Remember to strip the leaves that will be under the level of water in the vase. Any leaves left in water can rot. This generates bacteria which will shorten the stem life of your flowers. Always use the flower food provided. LILY / 7+ DAYS Leave at least four sets of leaves above the water line to provide the nutrition needed for the unopened lily buds. Flowers open from the base upwards, so remove any faded heads as the week goes on. MATTHIOLA / 7 DAYS Your stock will arrive with half to two-thirds of the flowers on the stalk open. Change the water of an arrangement containing Matthiola every few days. This reduces the chance of mildew which can contaminate other stems. SCABIOUS / 5 DAYS The Scabious has been included in this design to add visual interest whilst you are waiting for the Lily heads to open up. This delicate stem works best if the freshly-cut end is plunged into boiling water for 15 seconds before adding it into an arrangement. COCULUS / 7+ DAYS This elegant evergreen branch with its lovely sword-like leaves lasts for ages in the vase. Cut the ends of stems and place in water straight away. Cut your stems at an angle and place in water immediately after cutting. This will avoid air bubbles travelling up the stem and blocking water uptake.
ROSE / 7 DAYS Roses benefit from a little extra care on arrival to extend their vase life. For best results cut the end of the stems by a good 5cm and plunge the ends into boiling water. This dispels air bubbles trapped up the length of the stem and allows water to travel up as required. EUSTOMA / 7+ DAYS A delicate stem which requires care when handling as the side shoot stems can snap quite easily. Remove any faded flower heads as the stem ages, this stem flowers from the base up. If flower heads seem droopy on arrival cut the ends and hydrate at room temperature for 2-4 hours. GLADIOLI / 7+ DAYS Your Gladioli will arrive with only a few colourful buds visible and just opening at the base of the stem. Cut at least 5 cm off the base when conditioning. Gladioli grow towards the light so be mindful of this when placing the arrangement in your home. GENTIANA / 7 DAYS Cut stems at an angle and remove any flowers and foliage that will sit below the water line. Gentiana do not like draughts or full sun. Keep this flower away from your fruit bowl as it is sensitive to Ethylene gas which can accelerate ageing in some cut flowers. STAR FLOWER: DAHLIA Dahlias are considered one of the most spectacular summer flowers. They move in and out of flower fashion but are very much the stem du jour at the moment. There is a great variety of form in Dahlias, from the showy, dinner-plate size to the bright, little single ones. Amazingly there are 30 species and 20,000 cultivars of Dahlias. We have selected both the Pompom Wizard of Oz and Cactus varieties Karma Sangria and Princess Diana s Memory for you to enjoy. Dahlias are very much included for their flower heads alone. The leaves can look a little scrappy so remove all lower leaves from the stem. Be sure not to strip them all as they aid the flower head s hydration. For best results cut the stems at an angle and immediately plunge the ends into boiling water. This expels the air bubbles and allows the xylem cells to do their work in keeping the Dahlia hydrated.
Shop this Month s Theme 01 Copper Pineapple Ice Bucket The cocktail of rainbow hues in July s flowers cannot help but brighten any table or mantelpiece this month. Mixing flavours, fun and friends is what summer is all about so our interiors stories for July focus on exquisite entertainment and relaxation made easy. 03 LSA Paddle Cocktail Set 42.50 from Amara 04 Sunnylife Pineapple Cocktail Umbrellas 40 from Oliver Bonas Find more interiors and floral inspiration online at FlowerBe.co.uk 02 Soho Home Crystal Martini Shaker 85 from Mr Porter 7.50 for pack of 24 from John Lewis @FlowerBePeople
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