Caring for your Sunset Glow

Keep Sunset Glow in a clean vase of cool, fresh water and top it up daily, as the sunflower and chrysanthemum drink heavily and can lower the level quickly. The hydrangea takes in much of its moisture through the petals as well as the stem, so a light misting helps it stay full and prevents early wilting. Recut every stem at a sharp angle before arranging, and give the woody eremurus and sunflower stems a slightly deeper trim so they draw water freely. Remove any foliage that sits below the waterline to keep it clear, and move the bouquet away from direct sun and heat — the tulips in particular will hold their form far longer in a cool spot.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Carnation — Cut stems cleanly between the swollen leaf joints rather than through them, as carnations draw water best when the node itself is left intact.
  • Chrysanthemum — Chrysanthemum is sensitive to murky water — strip the lower leaves and refresh it often.
  • Eremurus — Stake or support the tall stems and keep them upright, as the heavy flower spike will bend toward the light if left to lean.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
  • Marigold — Strip any lower leaves below the waterline, as marigold foliage fouls the water quickly and shortens the display.
  • Sunflower — Sunflowers are heavy drinkers, so use a tall vessel with plenty of water and top it up daily to keep the stems firm.
  • Tansy — Strip any lower foliage that would sit below the waterline, as tansy leaves foul vase water quickly and shorten the display.
  • Tulip — Tulips keep growing in the vase and lean toward light, so use a tall, supportive vessel and turn it daily to keep the stems straight.

How long your flowers last

With eight different blooms in one arrangement, Sunset Glow holds its shape for roughly 5–10 days, with the heart of the display peaking in the first week. The hydrangea and tulip are the first to soften — hydrangea typically lasts 4–7 days and tulip 5–7, the latter continuing to grow and lean toward the light even after cutting. At the other end, the carnation is the quiet endurer, often staying crisp for two to three weeks, while the chrysanthemum, eremurus, marigold and tansy carry the warm sunset tones through the middle stretch. The most useful habit, and the one Amicis recommends above all, is to refresh the water every two days and trim a centimetre from the stems each time — it does more to extend this mix than anything else.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Carnation

Origin

Mediterranean region

Cultivated since

Antiquity, over 2,000 years

Fragrance

Sweet and clove-like

Symbolises

Fascination, distinction & love

Crowned in wreaths and garlands across the ancient Mediterranean, the carnation has been cultivated for more than two thousand years. Its tightly ruffled, fringed petals hold their form for weeks, lending an arrangement quiet structure and a warm, clove-edged scent that lingers without overwhelming.

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.

Eremurus

Origin

Western and Central Asia

Cultivated since

Brought into European gardens in the 19th century

Fragrance

Faint and honeyed

Symbolises

Endurance, stature & grace

Native to the dry, rocky slopes of Western and Central Asia, Eremurus is known as the foxtail lily for its towering spire of hundreds of tiny star-shaped florets that open slowly from the base upward. In an arrangement it brings vertical drama and architecture, drawing the eye skyward and giving an Amicis design its sense of scale.

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.

Marigold

Origin

Mexico and Guatemala

Cultivated since

Over 3,000 years in Mexico

Fragrance

Pungent, herbal and green

Symbolises

Remembrance, warmth & devotion

Bred by the Aztecs for size and depth of colour, the marigold has lit ceremony and remembrance across Mexico for millennia before Spanish ships carried it to Europe in the sixteenth century. In an arrangement its dense, ruffled heads read as pure pigment – saffron, amber and burnt orange holding their own beside softer blooms.

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.

Tansy

Origin

Temperate Europe and Asia

Cultivated since

Antiquity, across Europe

Fragrance

Sharp and herbal, faintly camphor

Symbolises

Endurance, protection & remembrance

Tansy carries clusters of flat golden buttons on tall, upright stems above fern-like foliage, each bloom a tight disc with no surrounding petals. Grown in monastery and apothecary gardens for centuries, it brings a clean architectural rhythm to an arrangement - a row of small suns that hold their colour and structure as softer flowers open around them.

Tulip

Origin

Central Asia, long cultivated across the Ottoman world

Cultivated since

The 1500s in Europe

Fragrance

Faint and fresh, often nearly scentless

Symbolises

Perfect love, elegance & spring renewal

Native to the mountains and steppes of Central Asia and prized in the Ottoman court, the tulip reached Europe in the 1500s and later fed a Dutch trading frenzy in which the rarest bulbs could rival the price of a house. Its clean, sculptural cup and quiet colour make it a study in restraint - a flower that keeps growing and bending toward the light long after it is cut, giving any Amicis arrangement a living, unhurried grace.