Flowers can transform a home, adding an immediate touch of vibrancy – and acting as a useful antidote to cabin fever during these long, hot summer months. It’s difficult and costly to introduce new features and colours into your home on a regular basis, so flowers are an obvious and easy way to mix things up.
“The flower in the room is the final touch, the cherry on top of the ice cream. It shows that the person has thought through each detail. These simple touches go above and beyond, and create a warm and welcoming room,” according to Ebraheem Al Samadi, chief executive of Forever Rose.
The company offers unique variations of high-quality Ecuadorean roses and other luxury gifting items, as well as its trademark Forever Roses, which are treated in a 100 per cent natural solution to kill bacteria and remove moisture, and can last for three to five years in a vase – and potentially forever if placed under a glass dome.
Al Samadi gives us the lowdown on new trends in floristry, ideas for summer, interesting colour combinations and how to ensure your bouquets stay fresher for longer.
What are the latest trends in floristry?
aRich hues, unique vases and unexpected elements are just a few of the trends being talked about. Unique vases are a personal favourite and the ‘glass dome’ is trending. I love using the glass dome for its marvel – it turns floristry on its head to create not only stunning arrangements, but a spectacle for the home. Forever Rose has been a pioneer of this trend, patenting this classic design around the world, and we are delighted to see that it has become so popular not only within the GCC, but internationally.
Are there any ideas that work particularly well for summer?
Anything breezy works well for the summer. Different coloured roses in oranges, yellows and fresh minty tones are a refreshing burst of colour in the summer heat. I also love the use of fruit with florals. Cut up lemons and place them strategically at the bottom of a vase and top with a beautiful array of blooms. This arrangement is perfect for the living room.
What are your favourite colour and flower combinations?
Colour combinations are so important and are a true reflection of the expertise of the florist. When deciding on the perfect arrangement, the florist must consider first and foremost the occasion – every colour and combination says something unique. Here are a few examples: fire orange and lemon yellow are a beautiful blast of colour for a summer bouquet; red, deep purple, fuchsia and any shade of pink are amazing for winter or to warm a room; shades of pink with purple always make for a beautiful combination; red roses can simply stand alone; and lastly, pastel colours of mint greens, powder pinks and lemon yellows always work so well in intimate settings.
Can you recommend any interesting ways to present your bouquet?
Be creative and go to the next level; break the rules of floristry to create inspiring designs. All of the artists at Forever Rose are creating something that has never been seen before, and it is always about bringing the ultimate bouquet to the consumer.
I love floristry that pushes the limits and allows you to see design from a new perspective. When I was last in Europe, I saw a beautiful and interesting arrangement of bouquets hung by fishing wire from the ceiling by their stems. It created the spectacular notion that it was raining flower bouquets.
A great way to add interest within the home is to mix floristry and architectural elements. Create designs with a contemporary vase and tilt the bouquet sideways to add a little marvel and defy gravity.
Should different kinds of bouquets be used for different areas in the home?
For bedrooms, only use Forever Roses – fresh roses actually take oxygen and harvest bacteria, and you should be sleeping in clean air with the correct oxygen levels.
For the office, I recommend a more contemporary arrangement and a vase that goes with the design of the office. In the living room, a very simple but elegant vase with an arrangement that is suited to each personal palette will be beautiful. There are also beautiful pieces of furniture that incorporate elements for flowers, such as a coffee table with a built-in vase.
One rose in a slim vase by your mirror in the bathroom is a beautiful touch. Cooking in the kitchen will not allow your flowers to last long – they are not good with heat. Create a beautiful arrangement of fruit instead. The colours and shapes are enticing, and it allows guests and loved ones to enjoy a healthy snack as well.
We do not recommend anything for children’s rooms because of bacteria and breakable elements.
How can you keep flowers looking fresh for longer?
Forever Rose has created a formula that we call ‘flower food’. It allows your flowers to stay longer by consisting of antibacterial ‘killers’.
When a flower dies, the bacteria grows at the base of the flower and starts to spread up the stem, so sometimes you see some flowers in an arrangement lasting longer than others simply because of the quantity of bad bacteria that has been spread from stem to stem.
To avoid this, be sure to use flower food, and change the water and clean the vase daily – even a small amount of bacteria can kill the flowers. Keep your arrangement in a cool room and refrain from temperature changes; cut stems at an angle to create a bigger surface area for water absorption once a day; and do not water the heads of flowers – just spray if necessary. This will allow your flowers to last three to four days longer than they normally do.
sdenman@thenational.ae
For more information, visit www.foreverrose.ae