Caring for your Eclipse 12

This arrangement rewards attention to its thirstiest blooms: the roses and hydrangea drink heavily, and the hydrangea takes in water through its petals as much as its stem, so a light mist on its head keeps it from wilting prematurely. Re-cut the woody hydrangea and rose stems at a sharp diagonal every couple of days so they keep drawing water, and handle the hollow, brittle delphinium stems gently when you do. Keep the calla lilies and orchids clear of crowding, as their smooth stems bruise easily, and let the sunflowers have room since their large heads draw a lot from the vase. Set the whole bouquet out of direct sun and away from fruit, refresh the water before it clouds, and the orchids and chrysanthemums will carry the display long after the softer stems have passed.

A note on your specific blooms

  • 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.
  • Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
  • Delphinium — Keep the tall stems in deep, fresh water and out of draughts, as Delphinium drinks heavily and wilts quickly if the vase runs low.
  • 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.
  • Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.
  • Sunflower — Sunflowers are heavy drinkers, so use a tall vessel with plenty of water and top it up daily to keep the stems firm.

How long your flowers last

Expect Eclipse 12 to hold beautifully for 5–7 days as a full arrangement, with its longest-lived stems carrying on well beyond that. The delphinium and roses are the first to soften, typically fading around the 5–7 day mark, with the hydrangea close behind if it is allowed to go thirsty. At the other end, the orchids are the quiet endurers here, often lasting two to three weeks, while the calla lilies, chrysanthemums and sunflowers comfortably reach into the second week. To get the most from this mix, the Amicis team recommends a fresh diagonal cut and a full water change every two days, which keeps the thirstier roses and hydrangea drinking and noticeably extends the life of the whole bouquet.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

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.

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.

Delphinium

Origin

Native across the Northern Hemisphere, through Europe and Asia

Cultivated since

In European gardens for centuries

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Openness, lightness & positivity

Named from the Greek for dolphin, after the shape of the flower itself, Delphinium carries blooms in graduated spires of cobalt, violet and white. That vertical line is what makes it indispensable in an arrangement - it draws the eye upward and gives an Amicis design its sense of height and architecture.

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.

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.

Sunflower

Origin

North America

Cultivated since

Several thousand years ago by Indigenous Americans

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Adoration, warmth & loyalty

Among the oldest flowers cultivated on the continent, the sunflower was domesticated in North America several thousand years ago, grown for its seeds long before its face became a symbol of summer. Its broad golden head turns toward light, and in an arrangement it brings height, openness and an unmistakable sense of generosity.