Flowers are an inseparable part of winter celebrations, but how do you choose flowers and plants that will add to the ambiance even after the Holidays? Kristiina ’not your ordinary florist’ Suo-Kustaa shares her best tips – take a look at the stunning flower arrangements conjured by Blomma Creatives and get inspired!
FLOWERS BRING cheerful colors and coziness into the midst of winter. However, the glee sparked by festive arrangements and flower gifts of the Holiday season doesn't need to fade away so shortly: the best flowers will bring joy for years to come, from season to season!
Kristiina Suo-Kustaa, the founder of Blomma Creatives – a candy store for flower lovers located in Turku – created three spectacular and sustainable flower arrangements for Design Stories and gave her best tips for decorating with flowers.
Hi Kristiina! How are things at Blomma?
“Hello! We're preparing for the festive season and enjoying ourselves to the fullest: we can't get enough of the season's wonderful materials and atmospheric scents and we are looking forward to upcoming events, such as wreath workshops. We've also started sipping on some glogg in good time, that's a given.”
As the name suggests, Blomma Creatives is known for blooming creativity. Could you tell us a little more about the story behind Blomma?
“A DIY approach and high volume of inspiration have been at the center of Blomma Creatives since the beginning, and that spirit is also very much visible at our boutique: you can pick and arrange flowers yourself with our help if you want, and we also organize a lot of different workshops. We have a huge selection of different dried flowers – everything but traditional withered roses – and many stunning seasonal specialties.
Blomma embodies the idea of being 'not your ordinary florist' – we want to offer something unique, something more sensuous and hands-on.
Both myself and my colleague at Blomma, Hanna Laurikainen, are designers by background, and in addition to traditional florist services, we also offer, for example, experiential flower arranging courses. Blomma embodies the idea of being 'not your ordinary florist' – we want to offer something unique, something more sensuous and hands-on.”
Soon it's time to take in the floral glory of winter festivities again. Would you share some professional tips for decorating your home with flowers?
“Abundant and elaborate flower arrangements are of course an excellent way to bring a sense of celebration to any space. A more durable bouquet can be created from dried flowers: choose a rich, light base and spice it up to your liking with, for example, shades of red and gold or copper for a more Christmasy mood.
After the holidays, the seasonal elements can be removed, leaving a beautiful white winter bouquet. Depending on the season, you can again add splashes of color or deep autumnal tones to the mix – the bouquet lasts for years, from season to season.
I recommend taking your favorite vase with you to the florist – they can place the flowers directly in the vase to highlight its most beautiful features.
The same bouquet looks completely different in another vase: try changing the vase from time to time, to give the bouquet a completely new perspective. I also recommend taking your favorite vase with you to the florist, so they can arrange the flowers directly in the vase to highlight its most beautiful features.
Play with plants and flowers, go wild! Instead of a vase, choose an old copper coffee pot, for example, or use flowers to craft creative projects such as wreaths and flower clouds: when it comes to plants, more is always more. I recommend expanding the idea of decorating with flowers – any branch picked up along the way to work can become a wonderful and unique piece of decoration.”
How to make flowers last for as long as possible?
“The lifespan of cut flowers is definitely influenced most by the water they're standing in. It should be changed every couple of days, and while you're at it, you should also clean the vase. As a rule of thumb: if you'd rather not take a sip from the vase, it's time to change the water. Dried flowers and cuttings are also a wonderful alternative to cut flowers – they will spark joy for a very long time!
Dried flowers and cuttings are also a wonderful alternative to cut flowers – they will spark joy for a very long time!
For those looking for a refreshingly green, but completely maintenance-free option, I recommend stabilized moss i.e. preserved moss. Moss treated with preservatives such as glycerol stays soft and green for years without any care, and you can use it to create different arrangements or, for example, an eye-catching moss wall! Other plants, such as amaranths, can also be preserved.”
Greeting your loved ones with flowers during the Holidays is a delightful tradition in many countries. What kind of flower gift would you give to a friend?
“For someone into green plants, I would recommend Blomma Creatives living Christmas baubles: the Kokedama balls crafted from moss and living plants can be hung on the window or grouped together to create a stunning centerpiece, and after the Holidays the seasonal decorations can simply be removed. Care instructions are also included. Kokedama balls are fun to create yourself too, but remember that you need the landowner's permission to collect moss.
Small bouquets of dried flowers are also a great gift idea for, for example, a colleague, a friend, or kindergarten teachers. The dried flowers need no maintenance, so you can keep a few bouquets in the cupboard as a backup and grab one whenever you go visit a friend.”
Kristiina Suo-Kustaa’s gift ideas:
- FERM LIVING’S VERSO VASE – “Verso by ferm LIVING is a classic vase with a nice twist! A vase that has this shape is perfect for all bouquets and it is also easy to arrange flowers in it one by one – they always look good. The electric blue shade is quite trendy right now, and it brings an interesting contrast to the organic look of flowers and plants.”
- PHAIDON’S FLOWER COLOR THEORY – “Exquisite inspirational images and wonderful color combinations. Phaidon's Flower Color Theory book gives you GREAT ideas for creating flower arrangements.”
- MARIMEKKO’S FYR CANDLEHOLDER – “Marimekko's Fyr candleholder is a beautiful piece in its own right, but it can also be used as a vase – as most other Marimekko candleholders, by the way – use a flower sponge to help with the arrangement, if necessary!”
- VITRA’S ROTARY TRAY – “Vitra's Rotary is a multipurpose tray that is also suitable for displaying plants and flowers. The tray works wonders, for example, as a base for moss arrangements.”
See also:
• All vases at Finnish Design Shop >
• Follow blomma_creatives on Instagram >
• More gift ideas at Finnish Design Shop >
Text and videos: Mira Ahola Images: Mira Ahola and Sonja Siikanen Flower arrangements: Kristiina Suo-Kustaa