Caring for your Amethyst

Keep this arrangement somewhere cool and out of direct sun, as its tropical anchors — anthurium, heliconia and bird of paradise — hold up best away from heat while the tulips and gerberas wilt quickly in a warm spot. The woody stems of the protea need a clean diagonal cut and a deep drink to draw water up their dense fibres, and the hydrangea benefits from a full vase since it takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem. Gerbera stems are the most fragile here, so support them upright and keep the water shallow and clean to stop them bending or rotting at the base. Pull the hydrangea and tulips as they tire and the orchid, protea and anthurium will carry the composition on for another week.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • Hyacinth — Refresh the water often and rinse the stems when you do, as hyacinths release a sticky sap that clouds the water and shortens the life of nearby blooms.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
  • Delphinium — Keep the tall stems in deep, fresh water and out of draughts, as Delphinium drinks heavily and wilts quickly if the vase runs low.
  • Gladiolus — Trim the stem and pinch off the topmost faded buds to push the remaining florets up the spike into bloom.
  • Craspedia — Give each stem a fresh diagonal cut and stand it in clean water; the bare stems need little else, and the golden heads hold for weeks.
  • Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.

How long your flowers last

Expect this mix to hold beautifully for roughly 7–10 days, with the timeline shaped by its quieter blooms rather than its architectural ones. The hydrangea is the first to soften, drinking heavily and fading around day 4–7, with the tulips and gerberas following close behind at 5–8 days. Holding longest are the sculptural elements — anthurium and orchid stretch to 2–3 weeks, while protea, heliconia and bird of paradise carry the arrangement's structure through 10–14 days. To get the most from every stem, recut the ends at an angle and refresh the water every two days; at Amicis we find this single habit does more than anything else to keep the Tropical Bloom looking composed.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Anthurium

Origin

Rainforests of Colombia & Ecuador

Documented

By botanists in the 1870s

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Hospitality, confidence & beauty

The anthurium's glossy, sculptural 'bloom' is in fact a modified leaf, with a poised tropical architecture few flowers can match. It lends Amicis designs a clean, modern edge — and one of the longest vase lives in the bouquet.

Hyacinth

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean

Reached Europe

In the 1500s

Fragrance

Sweet and heady

Symbolises

Rebirth, sincerity & remembrance

Native to the eastern Mediterranean and named for the youth Hyakinthos of Greek myth, the hyacinth carries one of the most enveloping scents in floristry. A single dense spike perfumes an entire room, which is why Amicis places it sparingly, letting its fragrance and upright form anchor a composition rather than crowd it.

Hydrangea

Origin

Japan & the Americas

Cultivated since

Reached European gardens in the 1700s

Fragrance

Very light, fresh and green

Symbolises

Heartfelt emotion & gratitude

Named from the Greek for 'water vessel', the hydrangea carries full, cloud-like heads that shift colour with the soil — from blush and cream to deep blue. Its generous volume gives Amicis bouquets their soft, romantic fullness.

Delphinium

Origin

Native across the Northern Hemisphere, through Europe and Asia

Cultivated since

In European gardens for centuries

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Openness, lightness & positivity

Named from the Greek for dolphin, after the shape of the flower itself, Delphinium carries blooms in graduated spires of cobalt, violet and white. That vertical line is what makes it indispensable in an arrangement - it draws the eye upward and gives an Amicis design its sense of height and architecture.

Gladiolus

Origin

Southern Africa

In European gardens since

the 1700s–1800s

Fragrance

Lightly sweet to virtually scentless

Symbolises

Strength, integrity & remembrance

Named for the Latin gladius, or sword, after its tall, blade-like leaves. Each stem then stacks funnel-shaped blooms that open from the base upward, and that vertical line gives an Amicis arrangement its height and architecture, drawing the eye skyward where rounded flowers would settle flat.

Craspedia

Origin

Australia and New Zealand

Described

By science in the late 1700s

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Good health, optimism & cheer

A wildflower of Australian grasslands and alpine meadows, Craspedia carries a single perfect sphere of densely packed golden florets on a slender, leafless stem. That graphic, button-round form brings rhythm and a flash of warm colour to an arrangement - and because it dries beautifully, it holds its shape long after the rest has faded.

Rose

Origin

Asia — China, Persia & the Mediterranean

Cultivated since

Over 5,000 years

Fragrance

Warm and sweet, of honey & tea

Symbolises

Love, gratitude & admiration

The most storied flower in the world, grown and gifted for five millennia. Its layered petals and soft scent have made it the universal language of affection — and the quiet anchor of almost every Amicis arrangement.