Flower Power
– the tips to enjoy a flower for the longest time –
If there’s one thing I’m not good at, it’s keeping flowers. I think they look very nice in the house, you know, but those things wilt within a few days, they start to smell, and the petals are on the table before there’s still a nice full flower standing upright. It’s actually a disaster.
Besides, I’m also quite picky when it comes to flowers, because I find them quickly look very fussy. A classic bouquet I immediately divide after receiving (because I never buy them for myself) into dozens of vases. My mother always gives me white loose flowers because she knows they are still acceptable and I won’t put them together anyway. I occasionally buy flowers, but then it’s always one type and never a mix.
Fortunately, I discovered a new concept, BLOOMON, where you can subscribe to the coolest bouquets. Different every week, but every week incredibly fun. They are wildflower bouquets and they are not perfectly cut straight, but carefully, creatively, and especially cool assembled. They are delivered cut, so the only thing you need to take care of is a clean vase and some water. It sounded like music to my ears.
Because I would find it a huge shame if they were already lying next to the vase after a few days, I got to ask Anton a few questions. Maybe you know Anton, he is one of the finalists of the program ‘Hollands Beste Bloemstylist’, and he has been my favorite since episode 1. While the rest of the participants remained within the fussy genre, Anton always managed to create the most fun and beautiful arrangements. If anyone knows a lot about flowers, it’s him. And he shares some nice knowledge with us that not only makes the flowers a lot happier.
Flowers don’t like bacteria. So cut them at an angle, then those bacteria don’t stand a chance.
Place the flowers in a clean vase. It’s best to clean it with bleach, then you can be sure that the vase is cleaner than clean and you won’t get any dirt. The water won’t start to smell so quickly either.
Having flowers on the kitchen table or dining table is not smart. At least, not if there’s ripening fruit nearby. They don’t like that. And they also don’t like sunlight, so they need to stay away from that as well.
After about four days, it’s good to change the water and cut the flowers again. Instead of flower food, you can add a drop of bleach to the water.
Arrange the flowers with love. No one gets happier from a haphazard bunch of flowers in a vase. They really look nicer and prettier if you’ve taken a moment to arrange them with care.
Trendy flowers
“What you see a lot now are the ‘forgotten’ flowers. The chrysanthemum, the freesia, the peony, dahlia, viola, and anemone. They are all making a comeback.”
Colors of the moment
“You see a lot of complementary color use in bouquets now. Purple with orange, for example. Additionally, in spring, the soft shades remain on trend, such as apricot with soft yellow and soft pink. Nice for Easter too. In summer, it’s bright and more powerful colors like orange, fuchsia pink, and bright pink.”
Easter bouquet
“You now see a lot of soft shades for Easter, so soft yellow, light apricot, and a bit of white. If you want to impress at the Easter table, buy a curly willow branch (available at every flower stall) and long French tulips. You stick them through and they will hang around the branch in a nice nonchalant way. Very beautiful.”
