Caring for your Amicis Blush

Keep this arrangement in a clean vase of cool, fresh water and out of direct sun, as its Roses and Hydrangea are heavy drinkers that will droop quickly if the water runs low. The Hydrangea takes up moisture through its petals as well as its woody stem, so a light misting and a fresh angled cut help it stay full and crisp. Handle the Astilbe and the slender Allium stems gently, since both are fragile and bruise easily when crowded. Give the Roses a clean diagonal recut under running water to clear any blockage, and lift away the Astilbe or Hydrangea first as they begin to fade so the longer-lasting Anthurium and Carnations can carry the display.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
  • 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 beautifully for roughly 5–7 days at its peak, with a gentle fade afterward as the shorter-lived stems give way. The Astilbe and Hydrangea are the first to soften, both wilting within 4–7 days, while the Gerbera and Roses follow close behind at 5–8 days. Holding longest are the architectural stems: Anthurium can carry 2–3 weeks, and the Carnations sit comfortably in the same range, so the arrangement keeps presence long after the softer blooms have been edited out. At Amicis we find the single most useful habit is changing the water every two days and recutting the stems at an angle each time, which keeps the thirstier flowers drinking and extends the whole bouquet.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.