Caring for your Eclipse 7

Keep Eclipse 7 in a cool spot out of direct sun and away from any draught or ripening fruit, as the Gerbera and Hydrangea are the quickest to wilt when the room is warm. The Hydrangea drinks largely through its petals as well as its stem, so a light misting of the heads will keep them from collapsing early, while the Gerbera prefer shallower, very clean water to protect their soft hollow stems from bending at the neck. Give the woodier Anthurium and the slim Calla Lily a clean angled cut every couple of days, and handle the Calla gently, since its fleshy stem bruises more readily than the firm Chrysanthemum and the wiry Craspedia drumsticks. Refresh the water before it clouds, and the sturdier blooms will carry the arrangement well after the most delicate heads have had their moment.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • Calla Lily — Re-cut the thick, fleshy stems on an angle and keep water shallow, as callas are prone to softening if stood too deep.
  • Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
  • 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.
  • Gerbera — Gerbera has fragile stems — use shallow, clean water and support the heads.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.

How long your flowers last

Eclipse 7 is a mixed arrangement, so its blooms will not all fade in unison; expect a realistic display of 5–10 days from the full bouquet, with the look softening gradually rather than all at once. The Gerbera fade first, typically holding 5–8 days, and the Hydrangea follow close behind at 4–7 days as the most delicate elements of the mix. Holding the line are the Anthurium, which stay composed for 2–3 weeks, with the Calla Lily, Chrysanthemum, and Craspedia carrying the structure for one to two weeks in between. To get the longest life from the arrangement, the single most useful habit is a fresh, cool change of water every two days, recutting the stems at an angle each time; at Amicis we find this matters more than anything else for a mix this varied.

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.

Calla Lily

Origin

Southern Africa

Cultivated since

Reached Europe in the 1600s

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Grace, purity & devotion

Native to southern Africa, the calla's signature is not a petal at all but a single furled spathe wrapped around a slender golden spadix. That clean, sculptural curve is why it reads as architecture rather than bloom – one stem lends an Amicis arrangement quiet, modern poise.

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.

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.

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.

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.