The many shades of love

PANITAN THONGSATIT, the owner of leading Bangkok florist Ruern Boossaba is celebrating Valentine’s Day on Friday by introducing lovers to the art of making the table beautiful through his latest Daily Flowers video channel on YouTube.

Panitan, who started by combining blooms with bakery items in 2003 from a converted house on Soi Lang Suan, moved to new premises in the Asoke Court building four years ago and decided to give up on the pastries and concentrate instead on the flowers. 

In 2011, he was invited to showcase his works at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre and also launched the first edition of his book “Blooming Journey in New York City”. 

The travel guide, which is based on the author’s own experiences of the Big Apple, also features a wealth of ideas for flower arrangements along with instructions on how to create them.

“The feedback was helpful,” says Panitan. “Essentially people liked the book but found it difficult to learn the tricks of arranging flowers from the printed page. So I decided to make it easier for everyone by launching a video channel on YouTube to teach the basics of flower arrangements. I called it ‘Daily Flowers by Ruern Boossaba.” 

A new topic comes out every Wednesday and the Daily Flowers programme now boasts 34 episodes dealing with techniques for mixing and arranging flowers in different containers, keeping the blooms from looking wilted and the right flowers for a room..

This week’s sequence is devoted to Valentine’s Day and Panitan presents two themed flower designs using Red Paris, Black Baccara and pink roses imported from Kunming represent love. 

“Every year, I see people buying roses to either give to their sweethearts or add a romantic ambience to the dining table. Usually, though, they are unaware of how to decorate the table to maximum effect.”

 

 

His first design involves a mix of Red Paris and Black Baccara roses, both of which are available at Pak Klong Talad. 

Base the arrangement of height of the container you plan to use then cut the stalks at a 45-degree angle. Place two to five roses in each glass and arrange them according to the gradation in colour.

The second design calls for pink roses arranged in clear crystal glasses in different shapes and sizes. And you’re guaranteed to find your way to your lover’s heart by using rose petals to decorate a dessert dish before serving. 

“Try always to cut the stalks with a pruning knife or good scissors to ensure they absorb water well.” Panitan says. 

If you’re looking for more creative ideas to jazz up your home on that special day, Panitan has recently launched a video clip, titled “Blooming Journey in Paris”, as a foretaste of what fans can expect from his new book, which is set to hit the bookshelves soon.

“This video was recorded during a visit to Paris,” Panitan says. “Parisians like to use pastel hues of blooms to brighten up their homes.”

You can also surprise your significant other with one of the gorgeous arrangements Ruern Boossaba is preparing for the day of love. Panitan draws on French architecture for his designs, which rely heavily on purple, pink, red and white roses flown in fresh from direct from Holland, Kenya and Kunming. Prices start at Bt1,200.

 

 BLOOMS TAKE A BOW

>>> Watch the video at YouTube.com/RbbFlowerShop.

>>> Ruern Boossaba is located in Asoke Court Building, opposite the Siam Society. 

>>> Call (02) 661 7767-8 or visit www.Ruernboossaba.com, Facebook.com/RbbFlowerShop.