Not just an old-fashioned floral favorite for fundraisers and FTD!
Carnations have long been the subject of the fickleness of trend. It was said they were popular during the reign of Louis XIV (they were the official flower of court), but though they’ve fallen in and out of favor over the decades, they seem to leave us with a bad taste in our mouths when used traditionally. This is unfortunate considering the flower comes in just about every color on the planet and can withstand the most heinous abuse a florist could stand to inflict upon it.
For most floral designers, carnations are, by every definition except appearance, the ultimate dream flower. Here are a few reasons why!
- They last a minimum of 7 days, though it’s not uncommon for them to last as long as two weeks.
- They do well with little to no water for extended periods to time, which makes them a first pick for ambitious projects involving large pieces of floral foam.
- They’re impervious to more extreme conditions like wintertime or a hot, sunny day.
- Their heads are bold and allow for a good amount of coverage.
- Their structure is sturdy and reliable, but somehow yielding in nature, such that you could say, run a bloom over with a delivery van and it would be usable!
You see our point, but what can be done about that one small problem of general overall appearance? Easy! When we want to use carnations we follow two simple rules to keep our creations from looking dated or out of style:
Rule number one: Except in the most rare, elusive circumstances, keep your arrangements mono-botanical. Meaning if you choose carnations, use only carnations!
Rule number two: Keep. Your stems. Hidden!
These rules work in conjunction and are pretty simple to follow. The result is the floral equivalent of modeling clay!
The sculptural ability of carnations is essentially just using the head to fill space. When using floral foam, think of each carnation head as a dab of paint! Sculpt your arrangement to any desired shape or size, and “paint” the surface with carnations. You can use a single color. You can use many shades for an ombré effect. Heck you could even recreate famous works of art! Seriously though folks, you can use carnations to make everything from pomanders to pretty pavé designs on any scale. Just imagine your place cards nestled on a huge bed of carnations! The possibilities are endless!
Carnation Tips Facts:
Season: Year-round
Pairings: These babies work best alone.
Colors: Virtually every color of the rainbow
When to use: For bold, sculptural pieces where the focus is less about the individual flower and more about form overall.
For more carnation creativity, check out our Pinterest board!
