Caring for your Citric Charm

Keep Citric Charm in a cool spot away from direct sun and any nearby fruit, and top up the water daily, since the roses drink heavily and the hydrangea takes up moisture through its petals as much as its stem, so a quick mist or a brief upside-down soak revives a wilting head. The woody gladiolus and bells of Ireland stems benefit from a clean diagonal cut to open up their drinking surface, while the hollow, slightly fragile snapdragon and gerbera stalks should be handled gently and given clean, shallow water to keep them upright. Strip any lower foliage that would otherwise sit below the waterline, as the carnations and chrysanthemums are sensitive to the bacteria it breeds. As the hydrangea and gerbera begin to fade, lift them out and re-cut the remaining anthurium, carnation and gladiolus into a tighter vase to carry the colour forward.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • Bells of Ireland — Stems are hollow and heavy, so support the tall spires against a vase edge or among firmer stems to keep them from bending or snapping.
  • Carnation — Cut stems cleanly between the swollen leaf joints rather than through them, as carnations draw water best when the node itself is left intact.
  • 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.
  • Gladiolus — Trim the stem and pinch off the topmost faded buds to push the remaining florets up the spike into bloom.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
  • Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.
  • Snapdragon — Trim the stems on a sharp angle and refresh the water often, as snapdragons drink heavily. The florets open from the bottom of the spike upward, so pinch away the lower blooms as they fade to keep the spire looking fresh.

How long your flowers last

Expect this mix to hold for roughly 5–8 days as a complete arrangement, with its character shifting as the more delicate blooms give way to the structural ones. The hydrangea and roses are the first to soften, hydrangea typically fading within 4–7 days and the roses following at 5–7, while the anthurium and carnations are the long-distance runners, often keeping their form for two to three weeks after the rest have been edited out. The bells of Ireland, gladiolus, gerbera, chrysanthemum and snapdragon sit in between, lasting somewhere from a week to a fortnight depending on warmth and water. The single most useful habit is a fresh diagonal cut and clean water every two days, which is what lets the longest-lasting stems carry the piece well past the point where most Amicis bouquets of this scale would normally close.

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.

Bells of Ireland

Origin

Western Asia – Turkey, Syria and the Caucasus

Cultivated since

The 1500s, in European gardens

Fragrance

Fresh and green, with a faint mint note

Symbolises

Good luck & good fortune

Despite the name, Bells of Ireland comes from western Asia, and its green "bells" are not petals at all but cupped calyces cradling tiny white flowers. That tall, sculptural spire of apple-green brings vertical line and an architectural calm to an arrangement, the structural counterpoint Amicis sets against softer blooms.

Carnation

Origin

Mediterranean region

Cultivated since

Antiquity, over 2,000 years

Fragrance

Sweet and clove-like

Symbolises

Fascination, distinction & love

Crowned in wreaths and garlands across the ancient Mediterranean, the carnation has been cultivated for more than two thousand years. Its tightly ruffled, fringed petals hold their form for weeks, lending an arrangement quiet structure and a warm, clove-edged scent that lingers without overwhelming.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Snapdragon

Origin

The western Mediterranean

Cultivated since

For centuries in European gardens

Fragrance

Soft and faintly sweet

Symbolises

Grace, strength & resilience

Named for the hinged bloom that opens like a dragon's mouth when pressed, the snapdragon climbs its stem in a tapering spire of colour. The florets open from the base upward, so the spire is always part open, part bud — a vertical line that gives an arrangement its height and architecture, drawing the eye upward and lending Amicis bouquets a quiet sense of movement.