Caring for your Velaré

Orchids drink slowly and dislike being crowded at the stem, so keep the vase water shallow and clean rather than packed full, and change it every couple of days before it clouds. Trim a small diagonal slice from the base of each stem under running water every few days, as orchid stems seal over and stop drinking if left cut too long. These blooms are sensitive to temperature swings and ethylene, so set Velaré away from direct sun, air-conditioning drafts, and any bowl of fruit. Mist the florets lightly now and then — orchids take in humidity through their petals — and leave the unopened buds undisturbed so they can open in their own time.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Orchid — Keep orchid stems in cool, clean water away from ripening fruit, whose ethylene gas makes the blooms drop early.

How long your flowers last

Velaré is built entirely from orchids, which gives it an unusually long life on the table — expect roughly 2–3 weeks when conditions are kept steady. Because the bouquet is a single variety, there is no early-fading bloom to drag the arrangement down; the orchids that look most spent will simply be the oldest open florets near the base of each stem, while the buds higher up continue to open and carry the display through its final week. The blooms that hold longest are the upper, last-to-open florets, which often look freshest right up to the end. The single most useful habit is to keep them away from heat, direct sun, and ripening fruit, and to refresh the water every two to three days — the Amicis team finds this alone is what carries an orchid arrangement to the far end of its range.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Orchid

Origin

Tropical regions worldwide

Cultivated since

Prized in Asia for centuries; carried to Europe across the 18th and 19th centuries

Fragrance

Most cut varieties virtually scentless

Symbolises

Refinement, luxury & rare beauty

Among the largest plant families on earth, orchids took root across the tropics of Asia and the Americas, cultivated in Asia long before reaching the West. Victorian collectors then chased them across the globe, fuelling a famous European craze. Their arched stems and sculptural blooms bring quiet architecture to an arrangement, holding their form for weeks where softer flowers fade.