Christmas Wreaths & Garlands Ideas

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! Ahead of the festive season (it’s only mid year now), we have compiled a bunch of our DIY videos that we have filmed for our students and past clients for some inspiration for your home decoration.

Not only do we love the look of these Christmas arrangements, the fresh scent of evergreens, pine leaves and cinnamon sticks (and other ornaments) is such a welcoming touch. Here are some ideas to style your homes with the same materials in multiple ways for the festive feeling.

1. Decorate your table with a Fresh Garland

A quick and simple idea as a table centrepiece to host your feasting and parties

  1. Using a string to guide you, layer on pin par (conifer) eucalyptus leaves, berries and nuts

  2. Bunch them together with florist wire

  3. Keep adding bunches until your desired length

  4. End the Garland by reversing the direction of the last bunch

  5. Glue on orange slices and pine cones, add a few candles to set the mood for the occasion.

Video produced by BoConcept Singapore

2. Accessorise a plain faux or fresh Christmas wreath

For a longer lasting decoration or something you can reuse even the next few year, get a faux Christmas wreath from a craft or home decoration store like Daiso, Mason’s, Bed and Bath Table etc. and spruce it up with your own ornaments!

Here are 3 ways on attaching your Christmas ornaments onto a faux or fresh wreath using floral wires! Video produced for Roger Dubuis Singapore

1.Separate wires and twist around the back of wreath

2. Join wires and insert directly into the wreath base

3. Separate wires and twist around the leaves

Tie a ribbon to hang the wreath


2. Wire your own Christmas Wreaths

The best part about making Christmas wreaths is the scent of the fresh foliage, get hands-on to create the green base from scratch by wiring various plant material on, adding on the seasonal ornaments and berries or any other fruits.

You can also purchase a Wreath DIY Kit to create one at home or attend our Wreath Making Workshop in the Studio!

3. Make a mini table top Christmas Tree

Take it a step further to build a table top Fresh Nobilis Pine Mini Tree! This idea is perfect for those living in smaller apartments or do want to save the hassle of having to clean up the leaves of a live Conifer tree.

You can attend a Mini Tree Workshop in the Studio if you wish to create one too!

Types of Long Lasting Cut Flowers

Types of Long-Lasting Cut Flowers for Singapore’s Weather

Do you love having flowers at home? It’s amazing how the scent and colours of flowers instantly lifts our mood.

We all wish that our fresh blooms can last as long as possible so we get to enjoy the beauty of them. However, especially in Singapore’s warm climate, fresh flowers do not last as long here. How long can flowers last in Singapore? Almost all cut flowers available in Singapore are imported from overseas and many are grown in colder climates. The average lifespan of cut flowers is around 3-5 days.

Apart from proper care, the tip is to select the right type of flowers so you can enjoy your fresh blooms for a longer period of time.

We have compiled a list of 5 flower varieties that do better in this tropical heat to get more bang for your buck!

1. Anthuriums

Native to tropical areas, this unique flower comes in a variety of beautiful colours such as peaches, corals, white and caramel shades. You can also get them as potted plants in Singapore, as cut flowers they can last up to 3 weeks.


 

2. Carnations

These frilled beauties are often given out during Mother’s Day, they last up to 3 weeks! Select those that originate from Holland or Colombia for unique shades of colours, they even come in ombre gradients or with stripes.



 

3. Alstroemeria

Also Known as the Peruvian lily, these delicate looking blossoms can last 1-2 weeks and come in many shades of colours, they are affordable too, making them a great choice for home decoration.

 

4. Eustomas

Often mistaken for roses, these round shape flowers are pretty hardy as long as they come fresh, with frequent change of water and trimming of stem ends, they can last 1-2 weeks.

 

5. Banksias and Proteas

Hailing from countries like South Africa and Australia, these long lasting and interesting flowers last around 3 weeks and dried up nicely. They are thirsty flowers so add water to your vase regularly

6 Popular Flowers for Mother's Day and their Unique Meanings

Popular Mother’s Day Flowers and Their Unique Meanings

With the month of May approaching, Mother’s Day is almost here! Time to make the tough decision on how best to show your appreciation for your mum, mother-in-law or your wife. Flowers are one of the best Mother’s Day gifts for the special women in your life.

For those of you who are not sure of what to buy, we have compiled a list of 6 suitable blooms with positive meanings for this occasion. As each flower represents a different meaning, it is important to choose the right blooms to convey your love and appreciation.

  1. Carnations

    Carnations are traditionally the official flower of Mother’s Day. It has come to signify purity, faith, love, beauty and all the traits that represents the virtue of Motherhood. Carnations are available in a variety of colours and are one of the longest lasting flowers, something mums will appreciate! The most popular options to celebrate this occasion are the pink and red carnations.

    • Pink carnations symbolise a mother’s pure and never-ending love. They can be used to express appreciation and thankfulness.

    • Red carnations symbolise sincere love, affection, and admiration.

  2. Tulips

    Tulips are an elegant choice for gifting and they happen to be in season during Mother’s Day! This flower represent perfect love. Most colours of tulips are suitable for the occasion and the choice of colour depends on the exact message you would like to send.

    • Pink tulips represent affection, good wishes and health

    • Red tulips symbolise romantic and passion, perfect for showing your wife appreciation

    • Purple tulips represent elegance and royalty, making it a great choice for your mother-in-law

    • Orange and Yellow tulips symbolises happiness, joy and hope

  3. Orchids

    Orchids are a great option to send as they represent love, luxury, beauty, and strength. In Asian and Chinese culture, this auspicious flower also symbolises abundance, wealth, and is a lucky plant to have at home. Additionally, cut orchids or potted ones last for a long time in the Singapore weather.

    • Pink or purple orchids signify respect, admiration, and elegance

    • Green orchids represent good health and fortune. 

  4. Lilies

    Lilies are one of the most beloved flowers by many mothers due to their large bloom size and beautiful shape. Coming in a variety of colours and species, they associated with good fortune, happiness and Motherhood. However, this flower is toxic to cats and carry a strong scent. Hence, if your recipient has a pet cat or is sensitive to scent, it is not recommended to send it to her.

    • White lily represents purity and majesty

    • Pink lilies symbolises admiration, love and abundance

  5. Hydrangea

    Hydrangeas symbolises gratitude, grace, and beauty. This lush and multi-petaled bloom is a great choice for the mother that gives ample amount of love and support.

    • Blue hydrangeas represents understanding and deep gratitude

    • Pink hydrangeas represent love and sincerity

    • White hydrangeas represents purity and grace

    • Purple hydrangea shows understanding and abundance

  6. Roses

    Roses are a reliable classic bloom, however, skip the red, which is typically associated with romantic love. Opt for other colours or a mixed coloured bouquet

    • Deep Pink Roses represents appreciation and gratitude

    • Light Pink Roses represents happiness, joy, admiration

    • Peach Roses symbolise thanks and gratitude

    Whichever flowers you chose to send to your mother, wife or mother-in-law, we are sure that she would be delighted to receive them! Otherwise, create a bouquet for her at the studio or spend time with her at our floral arrangement workshop 😆

How to Keep Your Flowers Alive Longer

How to Keep Your Flowers Alive Longer

If you are a flower lover like us, here are some tips on how to care for your fresh flowers at home!  We all know that flowers do not last forever but with a little care, you can extend the life of your fresh blooms to get the maximum enjoyment out of them.

Simple steps after receiving a bouquet of flowers:

  1. Remove flowers from wrapping and water source

  2. Snip stems at a sharp angle

  3. Display at cool area in a vase of clean water

  4. Keep away from direct sunlight and heat

  5. Change water daily or every alternate day

  6. Optional: Use flower food provided by your florist which will give the flower nutrients and kill the bacteria in the water

Last but not least, Enjoy your flowers!

Removing Thorns and Leaves from Roses

Metal and Plastic Thorn Removers

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the prices of Roses are skyrocketing! The red rose, classic and timeless symbol of love, as we all know, is beautiful but covered in thorns (our poor hands).

These beauties are a florist’s nightmare especially when having to clean and arrange dozens of them. Today we will share more about a quick flower shop hack about removing thorns from roses. If you enjoy displaying roses at your home or are a newbie florist, an investment of a few dollars in one of these handy tools, the thorn stripper (or de-thorner) can save you much time and those band aids.

We explore how to use them in the video below. But here are the steps on how to use them

How to use Thorn Strippers

  1. Clip or fold the thorn remover around the base of the flower head (above the leaves and thorns)

  2. Holding the base of the flower securely with the other hand, apply pressure securely along the stem and pull the tool downwards

  3. Leaves and thorns will be caught in the jagged teeth and removed off the stem. Be careful when using thorn strippers as they can easily damage the stems and cause unsightly browning if too much force is applied along the stem.

Although it really saves much time, one of our florists still loves using regular floral scissors to clip them off, the other prefers to use floral or kitchen knives to cut the thorns off because it is even quicker way (wow). You can thank us for this finger saving hack!

Floral Arrangement Bridal Parties and Private Workshops

Floral Arrangement Bridal Parties and Private Workshops

Planning a Bridal Shower or Bachelorette Party? Floral arrangement workshops are a great choice for a leisure bridal party gathering or part of the full day celebration programme! The studio is available for private bookings exclusively for Hen’s Parties.

Which floral arrangement workshop should you sign up for?

There are fresh flower arrangement options and preserved flower options. Fresh flowers may be familiar to most of us but Preserved Flowers have been gaining popularity over the last few years. They are real flowers which have been treated to last up to 1 year! This allows the flowers to be used as a long term display, some bridal parties even double the flowers up as bridesmaid’s posies or themed decorations during the wedding / solemnisation ceremony .

The most popular workshops at the Studio for private classes are:

1. Preserved Floral Jar Workshop : Keep the flowers as display or use them as bridesmaid’s posies, they can last up to 1 year

2. Vase Arrangement Workshop : Fresh flowers are frequently displayed in vases at home. This makes the Vase arrangement workshop one of the most popular classes in the Studio. The techniques learnt during the workshop can be used for any types of flowers and everyone gets to take home the vase and beautiful seasonal fresh flowers!

Our private / hen’s floral workshops start with groups of 2 pax, and up to 15 pax. For more information and photos, visit the Private Workshops Page or email us at info@botanystudio.com for the pricelist / catalogue or to book a slot.

Handling Floral Foam

Floral foam is an essential material in any Florist Shop, it is a lightweight and porous material that supports stems when inserted. It can be cut into any shape making it an excellent choice for any arrangement that requires stability.

Which type of floral foam should I use?

  • Wet floral foam (green) are for fresh cut flower arrangements. It absorbs a large amount of water providing a water source for your fresh flowers letting them live for a longer period of time.

  • Dry floral foam (grey) are for dried flower or artificial botanical arrangements. It does not absorb water so it cannot be used interchangeably for fresh flowers.

How to soak floral foam (Wet)

To soak wet foam simply follow these steps:

  1. Cut into your desired shape

  2. Drop foam block on the surface of a pail of clear water

  3. Let it sink down without any assistance

  4. Once foam is fully soaked the colour will change from light to dark green

Foam takes around 1-2 minutes to hydrate completely but many florists soak blocks in advance (e.g. the evening before an event). Once wet floral foam has dried out, it does not absorb water well so it should not be reused for arrangements. View our Youtube Video for a guide to soaking wet floral foam!

What's a typical day of an Online Florist like?

jar arrangements

People think that being a florist is all about being wrist deep in beautiful flowers, soothing music and smiles. The reality can be quite different! Including wearing a mask 50% of the time even during Pre-COVID period due to pollen, dust and tiny insects. Since events has ceased to a grinding halt, the days have become more routined and it is pretty much what a full time online florist does on a typical day. (Check out our sister retail store The Daily Posy)

The events life is vastly different from what you can expect from being a retailer (selling bouquets / arrangements) but more about that in another post (or several). That's a whole other world of activity.

  • First thing in the morning once the eyes are opened is to on check new orders that have come in through the night. Believe it or not people actually order flowers online at 3am in the morning! Consolidate the orders, print messages and get updated on world news.

  • 9am: Have a morning coffee while updating the delivery routes for the day, informing the courier partners on their routes. Close the order form for same day.

  • Head to the flower supplier to select & collect flowers, goods like wrapping, hardware items etc. If the day is too packed or the items are too heavy will pay extra to get them delivered to the Studio. The main difference in Singapore is that we don't have to scramble to the markets too early (like 5am) unlike other countries.

  • 10am: Open the studio and let the overwhelming scent of flowers out. Quickly release the first batch of deliveries.

  • 11am: Quick clean of the studio, the ground is never void of dust or leaves or small petals no matter how many times you sweep, vacuum, mop. Especially when working with pampas grass! (the boon of arrangements the bane of those who doing cleaning). Also not forgetting to condition and categorise any new stock.

  • 12noon: Lunch time!

  • 1pm: Prepare and send the second batch of deliveries out, all items are on their way to the customers!

  • 2pm: Have another cup of coffee or tea, check emails, social media DMs, reply to queries, post some photos

  • 3pm: Prepare for the next day orders

  • 6pm: Pack the studio since the place probably looks like a hurricane ran through and disinfect the place/ tools/pails

  • On average, closing time is anywhere between 630-730pm depending on the order volume

So that's about it for a retail only day for us! Every shop has their own schedule and if you have a walk-in store front, it will include entertaining customers, creating customised bouquets on the spot for collection or opening the shop earlier. Being a florist is a physically intense job with long hours of standing and tons of packing/cleaning to do.

If you are thinking about being a florist, on average you will only spend 40-50% of your time doing flowers while the rest of the day will be filled with other preparation, admin and cleaning work.

Want more insights on Florist Life? Follow our Instagram page @Botanystudiosg or keep a lookout on this page!

Want to learn more about floristry?

Hi everyone!

With the current coronavirus situation, it has definitely been an uncertain time for us but we are grateful to have this opportunity to take time to reflect on and re-align this small business. Since there is more time in our hands due to multiple events being cancelled, we will be updating this space and creating a youtube channel to share more about floristry. It has always been a personal passion of mine to teach and share knowledge of flowers, seeing that it brings much joy to our workshop participants or anyone who works with flowers leisurely.

We are planning to release a series of posts and videos on introduction to floristry, DIY arrangement techniques, things you can expect for your wedding florals, our favourite florists, and even talk about our experience in the business aspects of running a floral business (since it is quite a few people’s dream to run a floral shop). Stay tuned and stay healthy everyone!

- Botany Studio Team