Caring for your Honey Dew

Amaranthus drinks heavily through its thick, fibrous stems, so the most important thing you can do for Honey Dew is keep the vase generously filled and top it up daily rather than letting the level drop. Recut the stems on an angle every couple of days and strip away any foliage or seed heads that would otherwise sit below the waterline and cloud it. These trailing tassels are dramatic but a little fragile at the tips, so handle the cascade gently and give the arrangement room to drape rather than crowding it against a wall. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat or draughts, and the plumes will stay plump and richly toned for the length of their life.

A note on your specific blooms

  • 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.

How long your flowers last

Honey Dew is built entirely around amaranthus, so its lifespan is refreshingly consistent: expect roughly 7–10 days of cascading colour with reasonable care indoors. Because the bouquet is a single-variety study in trailing form, there is no early-fading bloom to watch for the way there would be in a mixed arrangement; instead, the whole piece ages together, with the longest, most pendulous tassels often holding their shape and pigment right to the end. The first signs of decline tend to show as a softening at the very tips of the plumes and a gradual fading of tone rather than a sudden collapse. At Amicis we find the single most useful habit is a clean diagonal trim of the stems and fresh, cool water every two days, which keeps those heavy tassels drinking and noticeably extends their hold.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

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.