Carnations - A Fresh Look

A smartly dressed customer came into our shop recently and asked if we carried carnations. "It seems so many florists don't have them these days and they're my favorite."  

To a sizable segment of flower lovers, carnations fell out of favor years ago due to their over-abundance and mostly thoughtless use in traditional floral designs. Carnations became synonymous with 'cheap'.  What got lost were the many benefits the flowers offer and I'm please to see more shoppers - and florists - willing to take a fresh look.                                                                           

One of the most energizing developments with carnations over the last few years has been the genetic breeding by Australian company Florigene of their Moon Series of purple varieties. Not only are these flowers stunning in color, but they can last for well more than three weeks with proper care.

The vase arrangement (seen right) was created in an ornamental chartreuse wire armature and features Florigene's Moonlight, Moonshade and Moondust varieties as well as roses, hyrdrangeas, green mist and seeded eucalpytus.

The carnation's versatility of texture and form lends itself to far more than classic, romantic arrangements.  A contemporary grouped design (left, below), coupling the flowers with Bells of Ireland and green hypericum in a chartreuse plateau dish, makes a long-lasting, vibrant gift. 

The unique horizontal interpretive design (above, right), which includes orchids, liatris, curly willow, equisetum and ti leaves, shows off the wonderful pillowing effect carnations provide. 

For wedding bouquets, carnations nestled in a vibrant tuft of hydrangea and finished with colored wire and silk ribbon, add a vibrant, sassy twist.  In this design, we combined the Moonshadow, Moonshade and Moonlite varieties to add color depth; accenting the perimeter with thryptomene and seeded eucaluptus. 

• And the seemingly endless array of carnation colors provides the perfect compliment to most any wedding ceremony. 

Flowers, like fashion, fall in and out of style. With the many benefits carnations offer, we hope more consumers will take a fresh look. 

The next time you're looking for a flower that:

• can last for weeks
• has a fresh, light fragrance
• comes in a variety of colors 

we hope you'll give carnations a try.

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