Delft China

Emerging in the Netherlands in the late 16th Century as a cheaper alternative to Chinese porcelain, Delftware (or Delfts Blauw in Dutch) was a tin-glazed earthenware, named for the city of Delft which was the major manufacturing centre and characterised by its blue and white decoration. Following the import from Asia of tulip varieties by the Dutch East India Company, the 17th Century saw the country’s obsession with tulips explode. Delfts Blauw ceramics were fashioned into vessels specifically designed for the display of these much coveted horticultural specimens.

Shop the Peacock Tulip Vase

Shop the Peacock Tulip Vase

Fast Forward

It’s the 21st Century and tkdcincinnati has developed its own floral obsession. Dahlia-mania is very much a thing in SO23 (though fevered speculation on tkdcincinnati’s dahlia market is unlikely to lead to the nation’s economic collapse). Delftware tulip vases are being put to sterling use as our container of choice for these beautiful blooms, giving each flower the space to shine. The vases typically feature a few, small holes or ceramic pipes in the body of the vessel in which to insert single stems. All the better to show off your tulip investment/horticultural prowess/ability to find a florist.

The Vessels - Classic Delfts Blauw

Shall we start with the showstopper? The Three Part stackable vase is the ultimate centrepiece for a dining table or entrance hall. Originally (back to the 17th Century again) these were made in stackable units because early kilns weren’t able to fire a single large piece. Today the charm of the building block construction continues.

The iconic and most familiar tulip vase shape is perfect for a more modest but equally striking display. Ideal for bedrooms, sitting room side tables and deep window sills. We love the Angel and Flower motifs on the smaller vases but the larger version includes scrolls on the side, giving it a more elaborate Grecian urn vibe (if you’re seeking extra grandeur).

I love the brick vase. A box construction with small holes in the removable lid. This is perfect for smaller flowers.

Shop the Flowerbrick Vase

A Modern Interpretation

For those of you with a more contemporary aesthetic, we have some simpler versions. You can indulge your passion for dahlias without compromising your enthusiasm for John Pawson and modern minimalism. Choose the Three Part stackable vase in white, the Vase on Legs in white and the very simple Cylinder vase. If you lean towards bling, go Vase on Legs in gold.

Shop the Flowerbrick Vase

A Modern Interpretation

For those of you with a more contemporary aesthetic, we have some simpler versions. You can indulge your passion for dahlias without compromising your enthusiasm for John Pawson and modern minimalism. Choose the Three Part stackable vase in white, the Vase on Legs in white and the very simple Cylinder vase. If you lean towards bling, go Vase on Legs in gold.

The Dahlias

Choose single or complementary coloured flowers or just go crazy with mis-matched heaven. We have used the following varieties, should you wish to copy our efforts:

Cactus (double blooms, narrow petals): Just Married (pink)

Dinner Plate (XL, as the name suggests): Penhill Watermelon (pink); Cafe au Lait (cream)

Semi-Cactus (double blooms, fluffy petals): My Love (white); Chat Noir (deep red); Preference (orangey pink)

Waterlily (broad petals, shallower flowers): Cafe au Lait (white); Milena Fleur (orangey pink)

Ball (round shape, tightly packed petals): Wine Eyed Jill (soft pink); Black Pepper (deep red); Linda's Baby (soft pink)

Thanks to the hugely talented Amy for the images, the hugely talented Jodie for the arrangements and enormous thanks of our friend, the hugely talented grower James Greig of Stem and Green (www.stemandgreen.co.uk).

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Jodie, of whom I am certain you have heard us speak, is our resident botanical expert. Currently studying horticulture; gardening for private clients; finessing her own beautiful acreage and somehow finding time for some shopfloor work at tkdcincinnati, Jodie adds floral arrangements to her impressive skillset. Brand new, and delightfully old school, hair pin holders, provide the framework; garden blooms the inspiration.

Hairpin flower holders (so named, go figure, because of the shape of the pins) have their origins in 14th century Japanese kenzan, used in traditional Ikebana arrangements (as well as in all sorts of modern displays now, see our Niwaki frogs). In the 1930s flower arranger Ida Sinclair decided that glass flower frogs, kenzan and moulded chicken wire weren't up to snuff when it came to her displays. A chance encounter with her son's metalwork machinery and her own well anchored hairstyle, led to the soldering of hairpins to a metal base and the establishment of The Blue Ribbon Flower Company for the purveying of her invention. Blue Ribbon is now Floral Genius but the product, with a few tweaks (domestic hair accessories are no longer the principle ingredient) remains the same.

With a riot of roses, nepeta, alchemilla, penstemon, astrantia, spirea, geranium and a solitary dahlia (the lone survivor from marauding slugs), we've chosen to use simple white vessels to show the flowers in all their glory. Minimal chic from Olsson and Jensen’s pouring bowl (3 ½” round, sized in inches, how quaint), classic Americana with the Mosser panel tumbler (2” round) and traditional utility enamelware with Falcon’s loaf tin (3 ¾” oval).

Place the flower holder in the vessel and add water (don’t fill it, you can top up at the end). Freshly cut the stems on the diagonal to ensure a generous take up of water. Build up your display using the thickest stems and chunkiest flowers first. If there is an optimum viewing point for the display put the shorter flowers towards the front and increase the height towards the back (it’s like a theatre and all the flowers want a good view). Weave the stems between the pins. These holders work best with fatter stems so Jodie started with the blowsy roses, the lonely dahlia and the spirea . Add to the display using taller blooms with finer stems and finish with the most delicate flowers so that they can be anchored by the existing display.

Try it Yourself

Everything you need for these beautiful displays is here. With the exception of the flowers. Help with which, with many apologies, I am afraid we can’t lend Jodie.

Shop Floral Genius Flower Holders ►

Cooking with Falcon: The Professionals

Mix together a Bake Off winner, a cook and storyteller and a Leith trained chef and cookery writer; add a dash of Falcon Enamel and a spoonful of seasonal ingredients and it's tkdcincinnati's very own cookery show. Ready Steady.....

What is Ikebana?

Translated as ‘living flowers’ Ikebana is a form of flower arranging with very precise rules about colour, form, symbolism and seasonality. First introduced to Japan in the 6th Century (during the Heian dynasty, since you’re asking) by Chinese Buddhist missionaries, it was originally a form of ritualised offering to the Buddha. By the 15th century (the Muromachi period) it became established as an art form independent of its religious origins. Ikenobo Senkei, a monk in the Rokkakudo in Kyoto, formalised the philosophy of Ikebana and Ikenobo remains the largest and oldest school of the art in Japan.

'Not only beautiful flowers but also buds and withered flowers have life, and each has its own beauty. By arranging flowers with reverence, one refines oneself.’

- IKENOBO SENKEI

Moribana and Freestyle

Moribana is a particular type of Ikebana: a modern style which developed in the early 20th century. Using a shallow container and a kenzan, it is characterised by full bloom flowers and greenery. In Moribana Western flowers may also be used. This allowance proved enormously helpful in Hampshire at the beginning of February when Japanese cherry and lotus blossom was thin on the ground. A Moribana arrangement is traditionally organised into a primary stem (or subject) which should be as long as the sum of the diameter and height of the vessel and is placed vertically. The secondary stem should be 2 thirds of the primary and placed at a 45 degree angle. The ornamental (or object) stem should be half the length of the primary and placed at a 60 degree angle. Luckily there is also a Freestyle style which was more readily adopted by those Hambledoners who found the trigonometry and rigour of Moribana prohibitively challenging.

Medium Flower Frog in a Pearl White Low Bowl

Round Flower Frog from the Mini Set in a Pearl White Mini Bowl

Kenzan

A kenzan (a sword mountain in English, and if you’ve accidentally stabbed yourself on the spikes you will appreciate the translation) is a flower frog which uses sharp brass pins to secure the stems of plants and flowers for displays. It removes the need to use florist foam to tame recalcitrant blooms. And, for our purposes, it means that all manner of plates and bowls and trays and pots, usually too shallow or flared for use, become ideally suited to the task.

The Arrangements

A celebration of the wonder that is the dahlia. Jodie has worked her Constance Spry magic on every single beautiful variety from cactus and pompoms to balls and waterlilies. Use a tiny Twig espresso cup for a single stem; a pearl glass bowl for a modest cluster and a Costa Nova serving bowl for a full extravagant display. Tableware takes on a very different purpose when paired with a frog. Dahlias aren't the longest lived cut flowers. To maximise their vase life, make sure you cut the stems cleanly with sharp secateurs, quickly put the cut stems in hot water and allow to cool to room temperature. Keep the water topped up regularly. Use the optimum size kenzan for your purpose.

Try it Yourself

If you would like to try out a version of freestyle Ikebana yourself, kenzan (flower frogs) and all the unlikely vessels are available here. With apologies to any practitioners of Ikebana, our efforts are an homage to the art but evidently quite a long way from mastery.

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