Caring for your Terracotta

Keep the water level generous and topped up daily, because the roses and the calla lilies are heavy drinkers and will droop quickly if the vase runs low. The hydrangea takes in moisture through its petals as much as its stem, so a light mist of the bloom head once a day keeps it firm and plump far longer than watering alone. Give the woody eucalyptus and rose stems a fresh diagonal cut every couple of days to keep them drawing freely, and handle the gerbera stems gently, as they bruise and bend more easily than the others. Set the whole arrangement away from direct sun, draughts, and ripening fruit, and the marigold and eucalyptus will hold their warm tone well after the softer blooms have had their moment.

A note on your specific blooms

  • Calla Lily — Re-cut the thick, fleshy stems on an angle and keep water shallow, as callas are prone to softening if stood too deep.
  • Eucalyptus — Strip any lower leaves that would sit below the waterline and re-cut the woody stems on a diagonal to keep them drinking.
  • 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.
  • Marigold — Strip any lower leaves below the waterline, as marigold foliage fouls the water quickly and shortens the display.
  • Rose — Roses drink heavily — re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.

How long your flowers last

Expect this terracotta-toned mix to hold beautifully for roughly 5–8 days as a whole, with its character shifting gracefully as it ages. The hydrangea and the roses are the first to soften — hydrangea typically draws down within 4–7 days, and the roses tend to follow at around 5–7 — so these set the early rhythm of the arrangement. The marigold, calla lily, and especially the eucalyptus carry it well past that, with the eucalyptus staying structural and fragrant for two to three weeks even as the blooms fade. To get the most from it, the single most useful habit is a fresh diagonal cut and a full water change every two days, which is what we recommend to anyone who orders this piece from Amicis.

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Calla Lily

Origin

Southern Africa

Cultivated since

Reached Europe in the 1600s

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Grace, purity & devotion

Native to southern Africa, the calla's signature is not a petal at all but a single furled spathe wrapped around a slender golden spadix. That clean, sculptural curve is why it reads as architecture rather than bloom – one stem lends an Amicis arrangement quiet, modern poise.

Eucalyptus

Origin

Australia

Described

By European botanists in the late 1700s

Fragrance

Fresh, cool and herbaceous

Symbolises

Calm, clarity & protection

Native to Australia, where it makes up the majority of the continent's tree cover, eucalyptus carries a cool, mentholic scent in its silvered leaves. As foliage it brings movement and soft structure to an arrangement, its blue-grey tones letting blooms read clearly against a quieter ground.

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.

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.

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.