Caring for your Eclipse 1

Keep this bouquet in a cool spot away from direct sun, heating vents and the ethylene given off by ripening fruit, all of which shorten its life. The roses are the thirsty ones, so check the water daily and top it up; if a rose head dips, a deep drink in fresh water usually revives it. The hydrangea takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem, so a light misting helps it stay full, while its woody stem and the firmer protea stem both benefit from a clean diagonal recut to keep them drinking. Handle the calla lily and anthurium gently, since their sculptural stems can bruise or kink, and lift them by the base rather than the bloom when you rearrange the vase.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • 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.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
  • 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.
  • Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.

How long your flowers last

Expect this arrangement to hold for roughly 5–7 days at its best, with the longer-lived stems carrying it a little further. The hydrangea and the roses are the first to soften, the hydrangea after about 4–7 days and the roses around 5–7, so they signal when the bouquet has passed its peak. The anthurium and protea are the quiet endurers here, the anthurium staying composed for 2–3 weeks and the protea holding 10–14 days, while the calla lily sits comfortably in between at 7–14. To stretch the whole mix, the single most useful habit is changing the water every two days and trimming the stem ends on the diagonal each time, which is the small ritual the Amicis team relies on to keep an arrangement looking considered well past its first few days.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.