Caring for your Empress’s Bouquet

Keep this arrangement in a cool spot away from direct sun and ripening fruit, as the gerberas and roses in particular are sensitive to heat and will droop early in a warm room. The roses are heavy drinkers, so check the water level daily and top it up before it runs low; their stems take up a surprising volume. Hydrangeas drink through their petals as much as their stems, so a light mist over the heads helps a wilting bloom recover, and a fresh angled cut keeps their woody stems from sealing over. Handle the orchid with a gentle hand, since its slender stem is the most delicate element here, and it will reward you by outlasting everything else in the vase.

A note on your specific blooms

  • 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.
  • 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.

How long your flowers last

As a mix, the Empress's Bouquet typically holds its form for 6–9 days, with each variety following its own rhythm. The gerbera and the rose are the first to soften, both fading around the 5–7 day mark, so they will signal when the arrangement is past its prime. The hydrangea sits in the middle of that window, while the orchid is by far the longest-lived bloom here, often staying composed for two to three weeks after the rest have been cleared. At Amicis we find the single most useful habit is recutting the stems on a sharp angle and refreshing the water every two days, which keeps the thirstier flowers 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.

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.

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.