Despite the grim weather we are experiencing at the moment, flowers add colour and style to a celebration uplifting even the greyest days. Our events team work closely with existing clients and new ones to create the perfect atmosphere whether it’s a lunch, dinner, film premiere, wedding or product launch.

The team were busy today creating beautiful table centres of summery Gloriosa Lilies and early Peonies to create a dreamy and colourful themed lunch party.  The Gloriosa or flame Lily has beautifully reflexed bright cerise/red petals with a contrasting bright yellow base and almost resemble a tropical Cyclamen. Native to tropical Africa and Asia, they are unusual in that they are deciduous perennial climbing Lilies that grow from a tuber. Reaching three metres in height they produce an abundance of long lasting blooms. Gloriosa superba is the national flower of Zimbabwe where it is a protected species. Most of the cut flowers are exported from a single farm in Holland, and they are abundant during the spring and summer months. Hybridisation has resulted in the cultivation of rare yellow, orange and variegated forms.

Gloriosa and Peony table centre

Larger and more imposing arrangements of white Amaryllis and Hydrangeas were created for a book launch tonight. The elegant black and white theme worked beautifully in the industrial lofty interior of The Collection on Brompton Road.

Stylish arrangements of Amaryllis, Hydrangea and rolled Aspidistra leaves bring the industrial lofty interior of The Collection to life

Amaryllis are a Genus of two South African flowering bulbs the Hippeastrum and the Belladonna Lily. Traditionally a summer flowering bulb, the Amaryllis Hippeastrum is popular and abundant as it can be forced into flower at Christmas and continues to flower sporadically during Spring and Summer in the northern hemisphere. The species was established into cultivation at the start of the eighteenth century and hybridisation efforts have generated a myriad of colours including white, green, pinks oranges and reds and a few double flowering cultivars with more than six petals. Amaryllis are long lasting and can be slow to open so our events team ordered these flowers a week in advance so that they were at their best for the launch party.

To book an event or free consultation please call our events manager Steve on 020 7727 4555 or email, office@philloflowers.com

Strelitzia reginae ‘parvifolia’ | Strelitzia reginae ‘Mandela’s Gold’

Strelitzia is a small genus of five species of perennial plants that are native to South Africa and widely cultivated in temperate and tropical climates. A popular and striking cut flower, the Strelitzia, also known as the ‘Bird of Paradise’  flower has a long vase life and is mainly grown for the cut flower market in Italy, Holland, Kenya and Colombia. Strelitzia flower abundantly during spring and continue to flower throughout the summer months sporadically with a period of rest in the winter. The five species comprise:

Strelitziaalba – White Strelitzia

Strelitziacaudata – Mountain Strelitzia

Strelitzianicolai – Giant bird of paradise

Strelitziareginae – var ‘parvifolia’ common orange and blue Strelitzia

var ‘Mandela’s Gold’, ‘Yellow Josephien’ yellow and blue Strelitzia

Strelitziajuncea – rush leaved Strelitzia

Strelitzia alba | Strelitzia juncea

Strelitzia reginae parvifolia is the most widely cultivated species and can be grown from seed to produce flowers from two to four years after germination under optimum conditions. The flowers are pollinated by sunbirds who feed on nectar produced by the flowers. The sunbird flies from flower to flower drinking the nectar and in the process pollinates the strelizia flowers. Strelitzia reginae parvifolia spontaneously produces a yellow variant or mutation one of which was named Mandela’s Gold. Rare in cultivation, seeds of Mandela’s gold are highly sought after. Mandela’s Gold is a shorter cultivar which is also less tolerant of cold.

Cultivated Ravenala Madagascariensis (Singapore) | Cultivated Ravenala Madagascariensis inflorescense (Mauritius)

Strelitzia juncea is unusual in that it has narrow rush-like leaves and is only found in Uitenhage, Patensie, and just north of Port Elizabeth in South Africa – it is the rarest and most frost resistant strelitzia.

Strelitzia nicolai, alba and caudate all have white flowers. The three white flowering species produce a trunk and look almost palm-like. The flowers are carried on short stems that emerge from between the leaves. Because of the short stem length, the white strelitzias are rarely cultivated for the cut flower industry. The differences in the three species are size and there are small differences in the structure of the flowers with nicolai being the tallest at around 10 metres.

Cultivated Ravenala Madagascariensis (Thailand) | Cultivated Ravenala Madagascariensis (Bali)

The Strelitzia genus is one of three classified under the family of plants known as Strelitziacea. Closely related to Strelitzia’s and part of the family Strelitziacea is Ravenala Madagascariensis or ‘Travellers Palm’ the sole member of its genus and native to Madagascar. It has been bestowed the name, “traveller’s palm” due to the sheaths of the stems that hold rainwater, which can then be used as an emergency drinking supply by travellers. The vast paddle-shaped leaves are produced on long petioles, in a distinguishing fan shape that is aligned in a single plane and make interesting landscaping specimens.

The third genus is Phenakospermum and only one species is recognized. This species is Phenakospermum guianense, which is native to both Surinam and the eastern Amazon River basin. It is similar to Ravenala Madagascariensis and commonly used for landscaping.

Strelitzia flowers incorporated in Phillo designs

For more information please call our store on:
+44 (0) 20 7727 4555 or email, office@philloflowers.com
Visit our flower shop in Notting Hill, London – 59 Chepstow Road, London W2 5BP

The Reception area at The Hempel

The Hempel’s vast reception is breathtaking and our favourite location to dress with flowers.

No.17 at the Hempel

The Hempel Boardroom set up – an exclusive room for meetings, private parties, weddings and events with a large terrace leading down to the Zen garden

No.17 at The Hempel - Wedding banquets

The Hempel Hotel banquet set up – a private venue of two integrated rooms, beautifully lit with natural daylight by day and transformed to an intimate candle lit venue by night.

More details on the Phillo Flowers hotel and corporate flowers service…

A ball of fluff – the diameter of the nest cavity is 5cm | The chicks showing the feeding reflex

Nesting: The females had previously shown signs of wanting to nest by carrying nesting material and feathers in their beak. Two of the pairs made their nests within a day – which was rather quick and the first egg was laid two days later. One of females laid a single egg every day for 6 days, the other laid four. Both started to incubate their eggs once the clutch was complete – ensuring that all fertile eggs hatch on the same day thereby increasing the chances of survival of individual chicks. This is very different to our parrots which lay an egg every alternate day and incubate from the first day that the first egg is laid. Hence a nest of parrot chicks is made up of birds at various stages of development and usually the strongest chicks will survive so it is not uncommon for only one or two chicks to survive to fledge from the nest. The incubation period for canaries is just 14 days.

The First Eggs Arrive: Our first clutch of eggs hatched on Easter Sunday and the other pair are four days behind. The female left the nest briefly today so we were able to take some pictures of the chicks which were tiny as they hatched from eggs that are barely 15mm in length. We could make out at least five heads from this nest but there may be six which would make this a large brood from a female that has nested for the first time. The males feed the females throughout the day while the female sits tight on the nest and keeps the eggs/chicks warm. The chicks should fledge from the nest after 15 – 17 days and will be independent at 31 days of age – capable of feeding by themselves. We will update the progress of the chicks in the coming weeks.

The female gets back into the nest after a brief break | The male showing off his frilly feathers

Our Canaries are a rare breed known as Fiorino Frills. Different to classic yellow Border Canaries as they have frilly feathers and look rather glamorous! Frill Canaries originated in Holland in the 1800’s and the Fiorino Frill variety was developed from these birds in Firenze, Italy and was recognised as a show variety of Canary in 1982.