Kaiva Kaimins of My Lady Garden is one of the coolest florists in London right now. We were drawn to her flowers via Instagram, after spotting her bouquets in some of the city's most stylish homes - their bright colours and bold arrangements are easy to spot! We love how she creates statement bouquets that will instantly brighten up your home, using bold colours and simple arrangements of beautiful blooms. We caught up with Kai to ask her expert tips on how often you should buy fresh flowers for your home, how to make a bouquet last longer and her top tips for arranging a bouquet at home.
How would you describe a My Lady Garden bouquet?
Playful, sculptural, full of colour and varying textures. I change around the colour palettes weekly so they’re never the same! The wackier the flowers I find at the market the better, and the bunches are usually full of scented blooms and foliage like wild mint too!
Where do you find inspiration for your colourful bouquets?
Honestly, I think my musical tastes have quite an influence on my bouquets! I adore listening to funk and disco inspired tunes, which have a really positive feel to them. This is usually what I am listening to in the studio and naturally flows into the design and mood of the bouquets. I also get really inspired by food - interpreting things like “strawberry shortcake” or “raspberry ripple” into a bouquet is just so fun! Growing up, my father was an avid gardener, so we were always surrounded by lots of wild roses and lavender. This probably had something to do with my love for flowers too.
What are your favourite flowers to include in summer bouquets?
OOFT …. the choices! I love a Dahlia (specifically one variety called sangria), Scabiosa, Zinnia, Rudbeckia...the list goes on!
Is your love of colour reflected in your home or do you add colour with flowers?
Funnily enough, my home space is completely different to my work/studio space. At home, I focus on darker tones like navy and dark green, with accents of coloured glass and neutral walls and lots of black frames to make these pop. I also have a lot of greenery and plants. I rarely actually take flowers home and if I do it’s just a small jar or something for the kitchen. The most colourful thing in my home is probably inside my wardrobe!
How often should you buy fresh flowers for your home? How long will a bouquet typically last for and what are you tips for increasing a bouquet’s longevity?
I think flowers are such a nice ritual for self-care. Pick a day every week (for me it’s Wednesday) and try to stick to that one day to buy yourself a little floral treat. Flowers typically have a lifespan of 5-7 days, but to increase the longevity you can cut your stems on a 45-degree angle upon arrival and plop into fresh water. Change this water daily and re-cut the stems 1cm each time. This opens the drinking straw and allows your thirsty blooms to stay hydrate. Keep in the shade, out of direct sunlight and in a cool space.
Do you have any tips on more unusual or creative ways to display fresh flowers in your home?
Find some vases that you REALLY love and fill these. For me, it’s never an actual bouquet in the house (unless it’s a super special occasion) but more so small vases in interesting shapes that will fit a few stems per vase. You could also play around with some metal Kenzan Floral Frogs and arrange some blooms in a footed bowl for a more Japanese style to displaying your flowers at home.
How do you select the perfect vase for your bouquets?
This really depends how short you want your stems to be. I always try to look for a vase with quite a wide opening, as my bouquets can be quite large and flamboyant and you don’t want to squish the flowers or bruise them.
What are your top three tips for arranging a bouquet in a vase at home?
- Start with clean water, filled ⅔ full. Make sure your stems that are going to be submerged are clean. Before you start arranging, take a minute to clean the stems at least half-way up and remove all excess greenery. This is called conditioning the flowers.
- You then want to start creating a grid with your stems, one stem at a time until you have a base.
- Then play around with different levels and with different flowers. There is no right or wrong - the only way you will learn to love your designs, is if you try and try again! Happy Flowering!
Follow My Lady Garden on Instagram and order your own bouquets (London only) via Kai's website.
Shop our vases for the perfect place to pop your bouquet!
