Caring for your Yoruba

Keep Yoruba away from direct sun, draughts and the heat of nearby fruit, all of which the orchid and anthurium especially resent. The hydrangea drinks through its petals as much as its stem, so a light mist over its heads and topped-up, fresh water will revive it quickly if it ever looks tired. Give the amaranthus room to let its plumes cascade rather than crowding them, and re-cut every stem at a sharp angle each time you change the water so none of the blooms sit on a sealed end. Handle the anthurium and orchid gently, as their glossy, waxy faces bruise more easily than they appear to, and they will reward the care by outlasting everything else in the design.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Amaranthus — Recut the stems at an angle and keep the water shallow, as amaranthus drinks heavily and the lower stem softens quickly when submerged too deep.
  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
  • 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

Expect this arrangement to hold beautifully for 5–7 days overall, with the longest-lived stems carrying it well past the first week. The hydrangea is the first to soften here, usually fading around the 4–7 day mark as its broad heads are the thirstiest in the mix, while the amaranthus trails its drooping plumes for a steady 7–10 days. The anthurium and orchid are the quiet endurers, both holding their form and colour for two to three weeks long after the rest have gone. Every Yoruba leaves the Amicis atelier freshly conditioned, and the single most useful habit on your side is a clean diagonal re-cut of the stems with a full water change every two days, which keeps the hydrangea drinking and noticeably lengthens the whole display.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Amaranthus

Origin

Tropical Americas (Andes & Mesoamerica)

Cultivated since

For thousands of years by Andean & Mesoamerican peoples

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Immortality, unfading love & endurance

Grown across the Americas for millennia as both grain and ornament, amaranthus is best known for its long crimson tassels that spill downward in soft, trailing ropes. Its name comes from the Greek for unfading, a nod to blooms that hold colour and form even as they dry. In an arrangement it adds movement and weight, draping over the edge of a vessel to break a clean silhouette and lend an Amicis piece an unhurried, sculptural fall.

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.

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.

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.