Caring for your Amethyst

Keep Amethyst in a clean vase with plenty of fresh water, since the roses and dahlias drink heavily and will droop quickly if the level runs low. The hydrangea takes water through its petals as much as its stem, so a light mist over the bloom on warm days keeps the head full and firm. Give the woody allium and the harder rose stems an angled cut, and handle the brittle calla lily and astilbe gently, as their stems bruise and snap more easily than the rest. Lift the arrangement out of direct sun, heat and draughts, and strip any lower foliage that would otherwise sit below the waterline and cloud the vase.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Allium — Change the water often and keep it fresh, as Allium stems can release a faint onion odour into the vase.
  • Astilbe — Astilbe drinks heavily and wilts fast out of water, so keep the vase topped up to at least mid-stem and refresh it daily.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Dahlia — Cut the hollow stems at an angle and refresh the water every day or two, as dahlias drink heavily and wilt quickly when thirsty.
  • 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.
  • Lisianthus — Its stems are slender and easily bruised, so handle gently and recut at an angle before placing in clean, shallow water.
  • Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.

How long your flowers last

Expect this mix to hold for roughly 5–7 days at its best, with the softer elements going first. The astilbe, dahlia and hydrangea are the early fades here, typically softening within 4–7 days, while the roses and gerbera sit close behind at 5–8 days. The structural blooms carry the arrangement longest: carnations can last 2–3 weeks and allium holds for 1–2 weeks, with calla lily and lisianthus comfortably reaching 7–14 and 7–10 days respectively, so the silhouette stays composed even as the headline flowers ease off. The single most useful habit is to recut the stems on a slant and refresh the water every two days, which Amicis finds does more for longevity than anything else.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Allium

Origin

Central Asia, the Mediterranean and the temperate Northern Hemisphere

Cultivated since

Ornamental use spread through Europe from the 1800s

Fragrance

Faintly oniony, otherwise clean

Symbolises

Unity, patience & strength

A member of the onion family, the Allium opens into a perfect sphere of tiny star-shaped florets held high on a bare stem. That clean geometry brings rhythm and altitude to an arrangement, drawing the eye upward and lending structure to softer, rounder blooms around it.

Astilbe

Origin

East Asia and North America

In European gardens since

Introduced from East Asia in the 1800s

Fragrance

Faint to almost scentless

Symbolises

Patience, devotion & dedication

Astilbe carries its tiny blooms in feathery plumes that rise like soft smoke from woodland shade, a texture prized by gardeners since it reached Europe from East Asia in the 1800s. In an Amicis arrangement it works as movement rather than focal point, lending air and a hazed, painterly softness around firmer roses and peonies.

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.

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.

Dahlia

Origin

Mexico and Central America

Cultivated since

Aztec gardens; reached Europe in the late 18th century

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Elegance, dignity & devotion

Declared the national flower of Mexico, the dahlia was grown in Aztec gardens long before it was first raised in Europe in the late 18th century, spreading widely in the decades that followed. In its ball and pompon forms, the densely layered florets curl into a near-spherical head — geometry that gives an Amicis arrangement a sculptural, architectural centre that holds the eye.

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.

Lisianthus

Origin

Prairies of the southern United States and Mexico

Cultivated since

The 20th century, refined by Japanese breeders

Fragrance

Virtually scentless, clean and unobtrusive

Symbolises

Appreciation, charisma & lasting bonds

Native to the open prairies of the southern United States and Mexico, lisianthus grew wild until Japanese breeders coaxed it into the ruffled, rose-like bloom we know today. Its layered petals open in slow succession, giving an arrangement a gentle, unfurling movement long after the first stems have peaked.

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.