Green and red decoration for lovers of tradition, and white for those who are keen on the stylish

“The Norway spruce, which can be used in branches, not only as a tree, is in trend. When a table arrangement is made of the Norway spruce, it is decorated with various berries, e.g. winterberries, in order to obtain a traditional green and red combination. The smell of the Norway spruce is irreplaceable and cannot be achieved with an artificial Christmas tree and flowers.” Spomenka Fabijančić, a florist and the owner of the Tea Flower Shop in Zagreb says.

Photo: Jasenka Arbanas photography

Those who want to depart from the traditional decor can find ornaments for themselves at the florist shop “ Tea”. “I suggest those who are not bound to the Christmas story so much to arrange their table with magnificent snow white roses in combination with pine (actually, with the Norway spruce, which we call pine)”, Fabijančić recommends.

The florist emphasises that the Poinsettia is unavoidable in the holiday atmosphere and provides advice on how you should take care of it so that it preserves its recognisable red leaves until Christmas: “The Poinsettia is very sensitive and it can often happen that people buy it during the advent and only at Christmas it loses its specific leaves. The Poinsettia is a tropical plant and likes warmth. To make it survive, do not keep it in draft and do not change the amount of light. Shortly, it should have its place and moisture. Growers do all that, however there are few people who manage to adequately nurture it, therefore you’d better buy it just two or three days before Christmas.”
The florist shop “Tea” endeavours to have special offers for the season every year, and it releases all this regularly on its Facebook page.

Photo: Jasenka Arbanas photography

Advent crowns in decorative vessels are fashionable

Rafaela Petrinić’s Poppy Flower Shop in Zagreb is where everybody can order an advent crown and wreaths for decoration of the door, depending on their own taste and money they can afford: “We have wreaths made of durable materials such as branches, so they can be used as a base for several seasons, and every year, they can be refreshed with fresh flowers and other ornaments. We certainly also offer wreaths of fresh materials, e.g. of pine that does not lose its needles.”

Petrinić says that advent crowns in decorative vessels are currently trendy: “After the advent, those vessels remain so you can use them for some other decorations.” The florist says that for decoration of advent crowns, they use imported other than domestic holly, which is a protected species, and notes that ilex branches with red berries that can live in a vase for almost a month have been very popular lately.

“Colours are rather important in the creation of advent crowns and people mainly adjust them to the colour of ornaments on the Christmas tree. Mistletoe is increasingly popular here but not so much as in the United States. We also do small Christmas trees that are not related to the advent because there are a lot of people who do not hold to religious customs, however, they like tradition and tree decorating. These little trees that we decorate are also adequate for small areas and offices,” Petrinić explained.
The Popy Flower Shop makes everything by order, so if you want a nice decoration for your home, order it as soon as possible.

Photo: Jasenka Arbanas photography

Bouquets and flower arrangements, not the single flower , are something you bring when you are invited to somebody’s home

Ivana Završki from the Marijan Flower Shop, one of the oldest shops in the Kvaternik Square in Zagreb, reveals what flowers you should bring when you visit somebody during the holidays: “Bringing seasonal flowers, e.g. tulips, is common. You do not bring single flower but rather bouquets decorated with some of the numerous symbols of Christmas, and arrangements. The Poinsettia is also something you can gift.”
The Marijan Flower Shop makes effort to be competitive, both in prices and selection, so beside the regular range of products they always have items that are trendy. You can also order holiday decorations at the Marijan Flower Shop, and the selection in the shop is so diverse that you will likely quickly find what you have come for.