Caring for your Freya

Keep Freya in a clean vase of cool, fresh water and stand it away from direct sun, draughts and ripening fruit, all of which shorten the display. The roses drink heavily, so check the level daily and top it up before it drops below the stems. Hydrangea takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem, so a light misting of the bloom head revives it quickly if it begins to wilt, while the woody hydrangea and allium stems benefit from a fresh angled cut to keep water moving. Handle the gerbera gently, as its stem is the most fragile in the mix and bends easily, and strip any lower foliage that would otherwise sit below the waterline.

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.
  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • 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.
  • 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 5–10 days, with the longer end reachable when the bouquet is kept cool and well tended. The hydrangea and gerbera are the first to soften, typically fading within 4–7 and 5–8 days, while the roses run a similar 5–7 day course. The anthurium and allium are the quiet endurers here, the anthurium often staying composed for two to three weeks and easily outlasting the rest, with the chrysanthemum close behind at up to two weeks. The single most useful habit is to refresh the water every two days and trim a centimetre from each stem at an angle when you do, which keeps the thirstier blooms drinking and lets the Amicis arrangement look its best for as long as possible.

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.

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.

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.

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.