Caring for your Bud Bliss

Stand Bud Bliss in clean, cool water away from direct sun and ripening fruit, both of which shorten its life. The hydrangea drinks heavily and partly through its petals, so a light misting and a generous water level keep its head from wilting before the rest. Recut the gerbera stems on a sharp angle and avoid crowding them, as they bruise and bend easily where they meet the water. The anthurium and ranunculus prefer their stems submerged only an inch or two, so keep the water shallow enough that the softer ranunculus stems do not sit soaked and turn mushy. Pinch away any spent hyacinth florets as they pass to let the firmer blooms hold the arrangement together.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
  • Gerbera — Gerbera has fragile stems — use shallow, clean water and support the heads.
  • 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.
  • Ranunculus — Cut the hollow stems straight across, not at an angle, and keep water shallow and fresh, as these stems sit soft and bruise or rot easily when submerged too deep.

How long your flowers last

Expect this mix to hold for roughly 5–10 days, with the bouquet's character shifting as each flower keeps its own pace. The hydrangea is the first to soften, usually fading within 4–7 days, with the gerbera close behind at 5–8 days as its stem tires. The anthurium is the quiet anchor here, often lasting 2–3 weeks, while the chrysanthemum, hyacinth, and ranunculus carry the middle of that window at 7–14 days. To keep Bud Bliss looking its fullest for as long as possible, refresh the water every two days and trim a centimetre from each stem at the same time.

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.

Chrysanthemum

Origin

East Asia — China & Japan

Cultivated since

Over 3,000 years in China

Fragrance

Soft, earthy and herbal

Symbolises

Longevity, joy & well-wishing

One of the oldest cultivated flowers, prized in China and Japan for three thousand years and honoured with its own festival. Its dense, textured heads bring depth and a long, dependable life to an arrangement.

Gerbera

Origin

South Africa

Described

By science in 1889

Fragrance

Barely scented, lightly fresh

Symbolises

Cheerfulness, warmth & innocence

The gerbera daisy brings open, sunlit colour and a graphic simplicity to a bouquet. Native to South Africa and loved worldwide, its clean single bloom adds brightness and a friendly, contemporary note to Amicis designs.

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.

Ranunculus

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean and southwest Asia

Reached Europe

In the 1500s, via Ottoman gardeners

Fragrance

Faint to virtually none

Symbolises

Charm, radiance & allure

Each bloom holds dozens of tissue-thin petals layered into a near-perfect sphere, a structure that opens slowly from a tight bud into something almost rose-like. That gradual unfurling makes Ranunculus a quiet anchor in an Amicis arrangement - sculptural when closed, generous and full once it relaxes open.