Astilbe

Where does the meaning of astilbe come from?

Astilbe's soft, feathery plumes carry one of the more romantic messages in the language of flowers: 'I will still be waiting for you', a promise of patience and devotion to a loved one. A woodland plant native to Asia and North America, it earned the rather unfair common name false goat's beard. Its plumes bring a misty, textural quality that flatters fuller blooms, which is why it appears in so many wedding bouquets.

What does each colour of astilbe mean?

The studio buys astilbe in blush and white, and at the bench each colour is read for its own meaning, a shade of the whole: patience and devotion: 'I will still be waiting'.

• Blushtender, patient love
• Whitedevoted innocence

When is astilbe in season?

Astilbe is in season May to August; it is not in the studio in October, and a bunch asked for it then is offered the nearest stem instead.

In the studio's bunches it is a secondary flower, the supporting cast that gives a bunch its shape and rhythm around the focal stem.

When should you give astilbe?

Astilbe carries devotion, love and loyalty, and the studio's guide to occasions lists it for weddings, romance and anniversaries. Each of those pages shows the other stems that say the same thing, and the bunches made for the day.

• Weddingslisted beside garden rose, spray rose and peony
• Romancelisted beside garden rose, peony and tulip
• Anniversarieslisted beside garden rose, peony and dahlia

Which other flowers mean the same as astilbe?

The studio's guide to the meaning of flowers files every stem by what it says. These say the same as astilbe, so a bunch can carry the message in another season or another colour:

• Devotiondahlia, stocks, alstroemeria and veronica
• Lovegarden rose, peony, tulip and anemone
• Loyaltysunflower, chrysanthemum bloom, freesia and veronica

What goes well with astilbe in a bouquet?

Pairings follow the florist's rule: one voice leads and the others frame it, so a bunch has a focal flower, a secondary one, texture and green. Astilbe is a secondary flower, and in the studio's pairings it sits with these, each with a meaning of its own:

• Peonya focal flower, which means romance, prosperity and a happy marriage
• Garden Rosea focal flower, which means love and deep affection
• Spray Rosea focal flower, which means gentleness and gratitude
• Hydrangeaa focal flower, which means heartfelt gratitude
• Ruscusfoliage, which means thoughtfulness and humility
• Waxflowertexture, which means enduring love and patience

How do I look after astilbe in a vase?

The studio's care card for a hand-tied bunch says: Your bunch is tied so it stands on its own. The string is part of the arrangement, so leave it on. Cut a couple of centimetres off every stem at an angle with sharp scissors. A fresh cut drinks; a dry one seals over. Stand them in a clean vase of fresh, cool water with the flower food we sent. Top it up daily and change it every two or three days. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, because leaves in water go slimy and spoil the water. Keep them out of direct sun and away from radiators, and never next to the fruit bowl: ripening fruit gives off a gas that ages flowers. A cool room overnight does them good. If the house is warm, a north-facing windowsill or a hallway is kinder than the kitchen. Take out anything that goes over before the rest. One tired stem makes the whole bunch look tired, and it hurries the others along. Every flower keeps its own pace: tulips go on growing in the vase, lilies open a bud at a time, and the softest stems are over first. How long they go on depends on the stems and the room they are in.