Caring for your Sparkle Holidays 01

Keep this bouquet in a clean vase away from direct sun and cooling drafts, which the fern in particular resents as its fronds curl quickly in dry heat. The protea drinks through a tough, woody stem, so give it a fresh diagonal cut and deep, cool water to keep it hydrated all the way to the bloom. Let the pampas grass simply be, as it prefers to stay dry and out of standing water, where it will hold its plumed shape for months. A light daily misting on the fern keeps its greenery crisp, and removing any spent fronds early protects the clean, textural line of the whole piece.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Fern — Keep fronds out of direct sun and mist them occasionally, as ferns lose moisture through their leaves faster than most cut greenery.
  • Pampas Grass — Keep the plumes dry and out of humidity, and give them a gentle shake on arrival to settle and fluff the fronds.
  • Protea — Strip any foliage below the waterline and refresh the water every two to three days, as protea leaves foul water quickly and shorten the bloom's life.

How long your flowers last

Expect this arrangement to hold beautifully for around 10–14 days, with its character shifting gracefully as it ages. The fern is the first to soften, fading after 7–14 days as its delicate fronds give way, while the protea stays composed and sculptural through the full 10–14 day window. The pampas grass outlasts everything around it, drying in place to last months and often well beyond once the fresh elements have passed. To draw out the longest life, every Amicis bouquet rewards one simple habit: refresh the water every two days and trim the woody protea stem on a slant each time you do.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Fern

Origin

Worldwide, in shaded woodlands and wetlands

Recorded

In the fossil record for hundreds of millions of years

Fragrance

Faint and green

Symbolises

Texture, depth & natural movement

One of the oldest plant lineages on Earth, ferns flourished long before the first flowering plant unfurled. In an arrangement their feathered, architectural fronds soften hard edges and lend a quiet woodland depth, the green foil that lets Amicis blooms read clean and considered.

Pampas Grass

Origin

Southern South America (the Pampas of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile)

Recorded

Reached European gardens in the 1800s

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Softness, height & quiet drama

Named for the South American plains it sweeps across, pampas grass earns its place through feathered, silver-blonde plumes that catch light like spun silk. As a structural accent it lends an Amicis arrangement height and movement without colour, holding its form long after fresh stems have faded.

Protea

Origin

South Africa's Cape Floristic region

Described

By Linnaeus, mid-1700s

Fragrance

Faint and honeyed

Symbolises

Resilience, diversity & courage

Named for Proteus, the shape-shifting sea god, the protea answers to a genus so varied it seems to change form at will. Its architectural bracts and sculptural silhouette bring weight and structure to an arrangement, holding the eye as a single, deliberate focal point.