Ruby Rose Flower Studio

It’s that time of year!

I love this delicate spring flower. It has multiple petals that open so beautifully!!

It comes in both blush and bright colours and is available now through to summer.

There are always new exciting varieties!!

They are popular in wedding work and everyday floristry.

Personally I love them in a vase by them self- simple beauty!

They are surprisingly long lasting flowers but can get a bit of slime in the vase.

To keep bacteria at bay- change water regularly, make sure there is no greenery below the water line and pop a couple of drops of bleach in the vase.

Look out for these guys appearing in our posies over the next couple of months!

Want to know the principles of building an awesome Ruby Rose bouquet?

Follow these 5 easy steps

1-      Pick some foliage

          Create a base

2-      Pick some focal flowers

These are larger blooms that make your bouquet pop

3-      Add some filler flowers

Smaller flowers to fill in the gaps

4-      Mix it up and add some texture

This creates interest and makes your work unique

5-      Pick how you want it presented

For home? Vase For a friend? Kraft paper or tissue?

Come on in to our store at 1/317 Parnell road, Parnell Auckland

To get a more detailed lesson!

Flower Bar open 7 days -

Monday to Friday 9am-4pm

Saturday and Sunday 10am-3pm

See you soon!!

As you all know we have been working hard behind the scenes creating a shop front for Ruby Rose 🌹 We will be operating ruby rose online from here, offering traditional florist services and my favorite part.... Our very own Ruby Rose Flower bar

This concept I am super excited about Here we welcome you to come in and pick from our menu and build your own bouquet 💐 Of course with our help and guidance!! I believe this is a first in NZ and we will be building on this in the near future- with workshops, classes and corporate events

Flower Bar Creations- these ladies came in and built their own bouquet using our simple 5 step process.

Aren’t they just beautiful!!

I can't wait to meet more of our amazing customers and put the same ruby rose ethos into a gorgeous brick and mortar store! So please come in and visit us, hang out and make some flowers.

This is the best of both worlds!!

The first two months have been exciting, nerve-wreaking and overall amazing.

There are highs and lows in any business of course ( something that I want to go into more in-depth in another blog post) but overall I’m happy and have a sense of pride with how the store has turned out.

I love coming to work everyday so that has to say something right!!

If you are in the area make sure you stop by

RR Xx

I Love flowers so much!!

Fresh is always best but I love the idea of extending the life of flowers so we can enjoy them even more.

Ive been busy doing some research around preserving flowers and have found some creative ways in which you can easily dry your bouquet stems and ensure that you get the most out of their beauty – and what’s best is that all these tips are EASY and you can do them all at home!!

 Silica Gel Preservation

This will ensure your flowers will look just as they did when you first received them, as if just plucked from the garden. Silica gel is a sandy like substance that can be found at most craft stores and works great with sturdy types of flowers such as Chrysanthemum, Zinnia and Roses. All you need to do is bury your stems in the silica gel and leave them anywhere from a few days to a week. Uncover your flowers to find beautiful and vibrant flowers all ready to go!

 Pressed Flowers

This one is super simple – all you’ll need is a heavy book such as an encyclopedia

Simply take the stems of flowers and slot them between the pages of the books between baking paper or similar. Be sure to place the flowers face down so that they don’t overlap. Lose the book up and leave for between seven – ten days. Once you open up the book you should have perfectly flat and perfectly dry flowers to enjoy!! These guys are perfect for homemade cards to give as gifts or crafts with the kids!

 Air Dried Flowers

By far the most widely used practice for drying flowers is to hang them upside down somewhere dry. This process should take between seen- ten days. Perfect for creating a vintage look because as the dry they lose some of their colour as well. Ideal candidates for this type of technique would include Lavender and Stock.

 Vase Dried Flowers

This technique involves you basically doing nothing!! Select the blooms you would like to dry and place them in a vase with about one-two inches of water. The flowers will drink up this water leaving them perky and straight. Once all the water is gone the flowers will naturally dry out. Hydrangea and Baby’s Breath are very good flowers to use for this technique J Watch as the blooms, shrink and distort taking on different colour and texture.

”. Flowers, just like peace is good for the soul!! We’re not just saying this either – there have been many studies that have shown the benefits of flowers and plants in homes, office spaces, shopping malls and hospitals.

Studies have shown that patients who receive bedside flowers and potted plants needed less post-operative pain medication and had a better mind set and more positive attitude. Other studies have shown that flowers on tables in cafes and restaurants seemed to have a direct effect on customer’s attitudes and were generally more pleasant to be in the company of.

Adding plants to a home or office environment has shown to increase creativity as well as freshening the air that your brain needs to function – how’s that for a brain energy boost!

Floral Scents also help to improve our moods and to decrease anxiety levels – a perfect gift for those studying for exams or waiting important results!!

Our moto is, if in doubt send flowers! If anything it’s proven that it will at least brighten someone’s day and help create a more positive mind set for them!!

During the initial stages of our business I spent a long time researching the concept called the field to vase movement. It struck straight to my own beliefs and I knew I wanted to stand up and take note. So what is this then?

Well to put it simply- its a return to grassroots keeping it old school. USA is at the for front of this movement with a back lash against the current trends in floristry that see a wooping 80% of flowers sold there are imported. This has hit the flower farmers hard with a huge amount shutting up shop- unable to compete with cheaper imports.

There has been a turn around though people embracing the idea of seasonal, local and sustainable flowers. Much like what the farmers markets have done for the food industry they are both meeting and creating a demand for locally sourced, high quality produce. Consumers are becoming aware of where their flowers are coming from and the processes that they go through to get there. This is great news for the farmers, the consumers and I believe florists.

There is so much waste in traditional floristry- when we set out to create Ruby Rose Flower Studio that is something we wanted to tackle, hence the limited options that embrace this idea of fresh, seasonal flowers. In New Zealand we are quiet lucking that most of the flowers sold here are grown here. But this being said the imports are creeping in.

How can we compete with cheap imports from India and South America?

How do we stop what happened in America happening here?

What about the consumer and there needs?

Do people care as long as they look good?

What if we need something that is out of season?

How can the growers and florists work together?

There are so many questions that I do not have the answers to but I am committed to building my business around the ethos of local, season flowers that are beautifully designed and packaged all with an affordable price tag.

I want to support NZ growers and that is something that has become clearer as I continue down my own personal business journey. Don't get me wrong I too have used imports in my work but the more I research and learn about the importance of supporting our local flower industry and the impact that it has on our economy the clearer it is becoming to me.

I just wanted to share this little insight into the industry, what is happening in our global market and how I plan to step forward :-)

4

As our wedding season starts to wind down, we decided that it would be great to feature some of the different styles that we have had the pleasure of creating this season. Again, we saw plenty of blush tones – pinks, peaches and whites were clear favourites again this seasons traditional bride. In saying this we have loved designing and creating different pieces for some of our less traditional brides that have wanted something a little but different and quirky.

The vast styles this year have allowed us to showcase some of our style and flair and has also forced us to think outside of the box…. (Which we love!)

It’s crazy to think that we are looking to next season already – but we are!!

So we have put together a little list of what we have found to get you started....

If you’re a bride that likes to keep on top of the current trends then listen up, the 16/17 wedding season in our humble opinion will be set to see more emphasis on the rich metallic s that started to appear in 14/15 with particular interest being in copper and rose gold. For colours we are predicting more rich tones like ruby red and cerise type hues coupled with lots of organic materials… think feathers, moss and plenty of foliage and greenery to accompany!

Previous wedding seasons have seen a non-fussy and wild yet romantic look which we are predicting will stick around for a while yet (just on a more grander scale!) Many floral pieces seen in past weeding weddings have all been low on tables or off of the ground, this year they are going up, up, up! Picture vertical walls for statement, hanging floral chandeliers and garlanding, metres and metres of hanging garlands.

So…. Now that Ruby Rose is coming up to its first year in business we thought it would be a great time to formally introduce ourselves, ‘The faces behind the flowers”. Our wee business is just a small one with just two florists (owner and operator, Chloe Guthrie and head florist, Erin Swaney). The concept for Ruby Rose began not too long ago about 6 months into our friendship when we met whilst studying together. The business was born from a love of flowers, a desire to be more flexible in the workplace and an opportunity to work together to create beautiful arrangements for people to enjoy, thus Ruby Rose was created!

As a brand new business just starting out, we have had many challenges along the way but through these challenges we have had so many valuable lessons. Some that spring to mind are learning to navigate the back end of an e-commerce website (something neither of us had had much experience in), Learning to bid for flowers at the weekly auctions (as if they weren’t challenging enough for a new comer, they begin at 6am!!), Learning to understand the client market of what people like and don’t like (as florists, this is hard because we like pretty much everything!) and learning to work with each other and appreciating both of our strengths and weaknesses. Our first wedding season began not long before Christmas presenting a whole bunch of new challenges which we have both taken on with excitement and anticipation! We are enjoying this seasons trends and developing and creating beautiful for our Brides on their big day! (Keep an eye out for the fruits of our labour in blogs to come ).

Like most young and ambitious Kiwis, we tackle things head on, enjoying everything that comes with that be it triumphs or challenges with as much fun and laughter thrown in as possible! For both of us, growing up in West Auckland and being ‘True Westies’ we have developed over the years a real laid back and approachable attitude to life and work which we pride ourselves on when dealing with customers and Brides. We love flowers and both feel so lucky to work in a trade where we can put all of our passion and love into. The sense of pride and achievement that comes with this is second to none and we feel it a great honour in this profession. It is a feeling, we hope remains with us for the rest of our journey in the flower world! As far as down time goes for us, we both love getting our feet wet and heading to the beach to relax, taking bush walks, cooking for family and friends, painting and of course playing with flowers!!

We have had a great first year and we look forward to having many more like it, we also look forward to meeting and dealing with all of you lovely followers and supporters, creating beautiful arrangements for you all to enjoy! Until next time, love & blessings, The Ruby Rose Girls – Chloe & Erin

New Zealand has hit peony season!!! People will often go crazy about this flower….. Changing weddings to coincide with the season, tattoos and endless Instagram posts.

Everyone knows about the peony from your florist- to even the most uninterested male would have heard someone say “oh peony, by far my favourite flower.”

So what is all the fuss about? This gorgeous flower has a very limited season in New Zealand from late October to the end of December. I believe this short timeline is a major factor- humans love what they can’t have and if there is limits to something it becomes exclusive and people want it more. Peonies have always been a sort after flower, even in the medieval times - known for both their beauty and medical purposes and with their short season they were admired and sort after for many royal gardens. As well as that they are stunning!!! They come in a large variety of colours and have varying sizes and shapes- some scented, some double and although very delicate looking they are quiet hardy flowers. The season starts with an influx of coral and red peonies and then we move onto the pinks, whites and blush tones.

We here at Ruby Rose have not escaped the love for peonies and are aiming to have them in every Wednesday Bouquet for the rest of the short season!!-

Check it out at www.rubyroseflowers.co.nz They are too gorgeous not to right??

So how do you look after them and get the most out of these beautiful flowers??

Check out our  quick tips below

Remove all greenery that will sit below the water line

Snip the stems on a sharp angle before you pop them into your vase

If you want to slow down the opening process make sure they are in a cool room out of direct sunlight

If you want the blooms to open for a special occasion make sure the water and room is warm and they have a lot of light.

If you have a stubborn peony that doesn’t want to open try this trick….

Remove any guard petals (they are the harder outer edge petals) and submerge the head in warm water for 2-4 minutes. Pop them back into the vase and most of the time they will open up 

We’re not sure about you guys but we have been glued to the TV and tuning in for our weekly dose of The Block NZ!! We are particularly enjoying watching how they incorporate of bit of life into their designs and have begun to notice a few trends just like in the Bathroom Reveals with the living walls (which we loved by the way!!). Us girls at Ruby Rose love us a little bit of home design and love any excuse to combine two of our favorite loves (flowers and home décor). A perfect opportunity for us to blogging on the matter we thought! So below you will find four handpicked easy style ideas to help brighten up your home and give it a little life!! Perfect for those on a budget, low on time, those that lack that design eye, basically anyone, we think even men could put one of these wee gems together!

Going Green..

Not a pretty flower person? No problem! Adding just a little bit of greenery into your home can make such a massive difference. Bringing life inside from out does all sorts of great things for the soul (even if you don’t realise it!). We have put together a simple arrangement using gorgeous greenery from outside that can be easily sourced. Trust us, try this once and you won’t be able to stop yourself after that! Testing the Waters..

Test tubes seem to be all the rage at the moment, the best part is that it doesn’t take too many stems in each tube to create a statement piece for a special spot in your home! We’ve found bedside tables to be a popular spot, bathroom vanities entertaining blooms is a winner and even a work space is a perfect spot!! Life in Abundance

Looking for something dramatic yet super simple? We’ve found the answer! Select one favorite type of flower of foliage and roll with it! That is the key, anything in abundance creates an impact. Even something as basic as a whole lot of flax (this is everywhere) in a vase placed somewhere creates statement!! We have a cute little bubble vase that sits on our desk at the studio and any opportunity to fill it with blooms is happily taken! At the moment our little bubble is entertaining some stunning Tulips !! VOLUME = STATEMENT! Don’t be a Wallflower!

Top Tips to Extending the Vase Life of Cut Flowers

We all love fresh flowers for the home, but what we don’t love are when they die after only a few days of enjoyment from them!!

We’ve compiled a list of the top tips to helping you get the most out of your cut flowers and helping them to live a little longer in your home.

Squishy Roses... No Thanks! When purchasing roses, give the heads at the base of the stem a slight pinch, If the roses are soft this means they are mature stock and won’t last too long in the home. You want nice, tight and firm buds!

Got Far to Go?? If you are traveling a distance with your new purchases, you may want to think to about getting the florist to put a wet wrap on the bottom for you to keep them fresh. Wilted flowers are not what you want on your coffee table.

Clear as Mud.. Before placing your flowers into the vase, take off any lower leaves and stems that will sit below the waterline. This will go a long way to helping keep the water clear and helping to stop that awful smell you sometimes get in the water after a few days.

Keep me Trim! Cutting a small amount off your stems every couple of days really helps the flowers to be able to continue to take up water through their stems. It’s a little like a cut, once it begins to heal and seals over, no water or germs can get it in and it’s the same with flowers!

Sharpe as a Knife Using a sharp knife or scissors and cutting the stems on an angle makes for a clean cut and a larger surface area allowing for the maximum amount of water to head up the stem to feed the flowers.

Clean as a Whistle.. Always use a freshly clean vase. This helps to stop any unwanted nasties entering the water and feeding into your flowers.

Bleach!! Yup, that’s right.. bleach. By adding a tiny amount of bleach into the vase you can help to stop micro organisms forming as well as helping to keep your water clear.

Be Sun-Safe! Keep your flowers in areas that are cooler and away from direct sunlight. This will stop them from getting to hot and wilting.

 Afternoon Spritzer... Flowers also benefit from a light misting of water over them, Flowers are clever and can absorb water through their petals. Misting them daily will also help to prolong their vase life. So there you have it, our top tips to helping your flowers go the distance!!

Before meeting with your wedding florist, we think it’s always a great idea to have a general idea of what you are looking at having on your big day.  Having an outline of what you are after, helps provide your florist with an idea of what you want, can help to direct discussion to be more focused on particular arrangements and flowers and helps keep your budget at the forefront of ideas too. As wedding season is fast approaching, we thought that it would be a great and handy idea to put together a ‘Wedding Flowers Checklist’ to help in establishing the floral elements that you want to incorporate into your day. These suggestions we have provided below is not necessarily an all inclusive list and can be tailored to any budget or wedding style. For example, if you are a budget conscious Bride, you might consider opting for just bouquets, buttonholes and center pieces.

For the ease of you and your florist you may like to jot down any of the items that stand out to you.

It is also a great idea to have images to discuss with your florist. We are visual people and it makes it much easier for us to picture all your wonderful ideas.

Personal Flowers □ Bride's bouquet □ Bride's floral crown or hair flowers □ Bridesmaids' bouquets □ Tossing bouquet (for the bouquet toss at the reception) □ Flower girl's bouquet (or basket of petals, floral crown, or pomander) □ Groom's boutonniere □ Groomsmen' boutonnieres □ Ring bearer's boutonniere □ Mother of the bride's corsage □ Mother of the groom's corsage □ Father of the bride's boutonniere □ Father of the groom's boutonniere □ Grandmothers' corsages □ Grandfathers' boutonnieres

Ceremony Flowers □ Entryway or welcome table arrangements □ Altar arrangements □ Pew or chair arrangements □ Aisle decorations □ Tossing petals for guests

Reception Flowers □ Cocktail table arrangements □ Bar arrangements □ Escort-card table arrangements □ Centerpieces □ Bride's and groom's chair decorations □ Buffet-table/food-station arrangements □ Lounge area arrangements □ Flowers for wedding cake □ Cake table arrangements □ Powder room decorations □ Getaway car arrangements

Remember although a stressful time, weddings are a beautiful thing-especially the flower part.

Be prepared, ask questions, breath and enjoy the ride.

-

At Ruby Rose Flower Studio we stock a range of beautiful gifts to suit all occasions.  

Whether you want to add something extra to your flowers or send a gift separately look no further.

Our gift ranges are all wonderful brands with great reputations, we have hand picked these brands because they sit perfectly with our own philosophy of beautiful, simple and modern design.

Babu

A beautiful baby range, Babu  uses fabric made from the softest natural fibers to create contemporary baby bedding, clothing and accessories in classic neutral colours. We have products and gift sets to suit a baby’s every need – bedtime, bath time, mealtime and playtime.

Bluebells Cakery

Providing something sweet, Bluebells Cakery cupcakes are all made from scratch in their Hillsborough shop. Using premium ingredients they have a range of beautiful classic flavours that are hand-iced and decorated daily. Cupcakes and Flowers a match made in heaven!

MOR Range

A pioneer creator of bath, body and lifestyle products, with a distinctive range recognised worldwide. The perfect gift for her and a beautiful something extra to add to your flowers.

Triumph and Disaster

A modern apothecary and skincare foundry born in New Zealand.

Founded by former international cricketer Dion Nash circa April of 2011, Triumph & Disaster sets out to make skincare more accessible and appealing by drawing on old fashioned values and wrapping them in a little rock & roll swagger.

This range is perfect for him or her and is the perfect match for either our Daily Flowers or our Botanical Collection

Our cone wrapped bouquet- starting at $45 NZD

Our posy bag- starting at $30 NZD

We are an Online florist based in Auckland, NZ committed to completely changing the way flowers are sent and received, by providing a better alternative to the traditional ‘big guys’ in floristry. Whats our plan, its simple really- provide fresh, seasonal flowers at an affordable price.

The floral industry is full of waste, traditional florists have to stock up on large varieties of flowers to account for the huge range of cookie cutter arrangements they have available for order. This means stock sits and is either old when you receive it or ends up in the bin which isn't good for anybody including the environment.

 How will we do it?

Each day we buy the freshest, seasonal flowers we can get our hands on

Go back to the studio and design two gorgeous daily arrangements for you

You order

We deliver

Its as simple as that!

We are a team of qualified florists who know what we are doing, meaning the flowers will be arranged in such a way which that they will still look amazing once you take them out of the packaging. They will arrive fresh due to our knowledge of flowers and ability to wet wrap effectively. We pride ourselves on our minimal and sophisticated packaging and branding, making the flowers the star of the show.

Summary

Beautiful, fresh, seasonal flowers

environmentally aware- minimal waste

Modern designs created by qualified, experienced florists

Affordable prices starting at $30