Caring for your Isolde

Keep it cool and out of direct sun, since the Sunflower drinks heavily and wilts fastest if its water runs low, so check the level daily and top it up. The tall Bells of Ireland bruise easily, so handle them gently and give them enough water depth to stay upright. Strip lower foliage and the soft Fern fronds before they sit below the waterline, where they break down and cloud the vase. The waxy Anthurium needs little beyond clean water, while a light daily mist keeps its spathe and the Chrysanthemum blooms fresh, and a diagonal recut at each water change keeps every stem drinking freely.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Anthurium — Anthurium prefers warmth — keep it away from the cold and wipe the leaf gently.
  • Bells of Ireland — Stems are hollow and heavy, so support the tall spires against a vase edge or among firmer stems to keep them from bending or snapping.
  • Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
  • Fern — Keep fronds out of direct sun and mist them occasionally, as ferns lose moisture through their leaves faster than most cut greenery.
  • 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

This mix holds for roughly 7 to 12 days in the average home. The Sunflower and Bells of Ireland fade first, the Sunflower softening around day 6 to 12 and the Bells near day 7 to 10. The Chrysanthemum and Fern sit in the middle at 7 to 14 days, while the Anthurium lasts longest, often staying composed for two to three weeks after the rest have gone. At Amicis we find a fresh diagonal cut and clean water every two days is the single most useful habit, keeping the thirsty Sunflower drinking and extending the whole composition.

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.

Bells of Ireland

Origin

Western Asia – Turkey, Syria and the Caucasus

Cultivated since

The 1500s, in European gardens

Fragrance

Fresh and green, with a faint mint note

Symbolises

Good luck & good fortune

Despite the name, Bells of Ireland comes from western Asia, and its green "bells" are not petals at all but cupped calyces cradling tiny white flowers. That tall, sculptural spire of apple-green brings vertical line and an architectural calm to an arrangement, the structural counterpoint Amicis sets against softer blooms.

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.

Fern

Origin

Worldwide, in shaded woodlands and wetlands

Recorded

In the fossil record for hundreds of millions of years

Fragrance

Faint and green

Symbolises

Texture, depth & natural movement

One of the oldest plant lineages on Earth, ferns flourished long before the first flowering plant unfurled. In an arrangement their feathered, architectural fronds soften hard edges and lend a quiet woodland depth, the green foil that lets Amicis blooms read clean and considered.

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.