PERIDOT GREEN FLOWERS

August’s favorite flower color is Peridot green. This year, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need great-looking flowers. To make the chosen colors a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. This month it’s Peridot, or bright green. (Click here for all of our color of the month posts)

Peridot is one of the few gemstones that only occurs in one color, green. The intensity and tint of the green, however, depends on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure. The color of individual peridot gems can vary from yellow- to olive- to brownish-green. The most valued color is a dark olive-green.

Flowers in green are just as unique and striking as the gem, this guide to green flowers will help you when choosing flowers for your events or just for fun!

When creating your wedding bouquet,

When creating a color scheme using Peridot green, use the color wheel as your guide! Above you see three examples. The first is the complementary color of Peridot green — brilliant purple, which is sure to balance out the bright green. The second is a triad (3) of color complements to light green. Electric blues and hot pinks are sure to add some fun to this combination. You could also go with  tetrad (4) of complement colors. So Peridot green, mixed with a close neighbor, aqua, and balanced with purple and hot pink.

Of course, green looks wonderful all on it’s own. Mix different shades and textures of greens together to create a unique and gorgeous flower bouquet.

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Peridot – Lime Green Flower Guide” »

ALEXANDRITE PINK FLOWERS

June’s favorite flower color is Alexandrite pink. This year, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need great-looking flowers. To make the chosen colors a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. Last month’s was emerald green, and this month it’s Alexandrite, or light pink. (Click here for all of our color of the month posts)

The most sensational feature of the Alexandrite gemstone is its surprising ability to change its color. Purpleish in daylight, Alexandrite turns a soft shade of pink, purplish-pink or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities.

When creating your wedding bouquet,

When creating a color scheme using Alexandrite pink, use the color wheel as your guide! Above you see three examples. The first is the complementary color of Alexandrite pink — pale green, which is sure to bring out the subtle tones of the pink. The second is a triad (3) of color complements to light pink. Soft yellows and pale aquas make the perfect pastel combination. You could also go with split-complement colors, meaning the two adjacent colors to the complementary color. So Alexandrite pink mixed with light green and pale aqua.

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Alexandrite – Light Pink Flower Guide” »

EMERALD FLOWERS

May’s favorite flower color is emerald. This year, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need great-looking flowers. To make the chosen colors a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. Last month’s was diamond-white, and this month it’s emerald green. (Click here for all of our color of the month posts)

When creating your wedding bouquet,

When creating a color scheme using emerald green use the color wheel as your guide! Above you see two examples. The first is the complementary color of emerald, a beautiful magenta, which is sure to bring out the beautiful tones of this shade of green. The second is a triad (3) of color complements to emerald. Green, indigo and chocolate brown make a stunning, jewel-tone combination. You could also go with analogous colors, meaning next to emerald green on the color wheel. So deep emerald mixed with lighter green and even yellow, or the other way, emerald mixed with vivid blues and indigo.

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Emerald Green Flower Guide” »

DIAMOND FLOWERS

April’s favorite flower color is diamond-white. This year, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need great-looking flowers. To make the chosen colors a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. Last month’s was aquamarine, and this month it’s diamond, or whiteish-silver. (Click here for all of our color of the month posts)

The name diamond is derived from the ancient Greek word for “proper”, “unalterable”, “unbreakable, untamed.” This is a very fitting name for something as perfect and strong as the diamond.
We often see diamond used in jewelry, particularly for weddings, and it’s the birthstone for April.

When creating your wedding bouquet,

Since ‘diamond’ is not really a color, we are associating it with lighter shades of gray. There are many, stunning flowers that come in light gray colors, as well as shimming silver and pale blue. When creating a color scheme using these light grays, you can either stick with a monochrome palette, or add a punchy, accent color to really bring out the dynamics! Imagine bright red with silver-diamond colors, or how about a vivid blue paired with diamond flowers and silver accent.

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Unique Diamond-White Flower Guide” »

AQUAMARINE FLOWERS

This month’s favorite flower color is aquamarine. This year, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need great-looking flowers. To make the chosen colors a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. Last month’s was amethyst, and this month it’s aquamarine, or light blue. (Click here for all of our color of the month posts)

Aquamarine is the bluish-green variety of the mineral beryl. The name beryl comes from the Green, beryllos which means to a “precious blue-green color-of-sea-water stone.” We often see aquamarine used in jewelry and it is the birthstone for March.

When creating a color palette for your flower arrangement or wedding bouquet, choose analogous colors to aquamarine, meaning next to it on the color wheel. These include a mixture of blues and light purples, excellent for pale blue flower arrangements.. Aquamarine’s complement color is a dusty, antique pink — a great accent to your light blue flowers!  The tetrad colors of aquamarine are also easily incorporated into floral designs. The complimentary colors of aquamarine give this hue a surprisingly-rustic mood. Keep these colors in mind when creating your next aquamarine or light blue flower arrangement or color palette.

The following guide are a collection of very unique, aquamarine/light blue colored flowers available from your local florists. This guide focuses on light blue flowers you might not think of!

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Aquamarine Dreams: March’s Favorite Flower Color” »

This month’s favorite flower color is amethyst. Starting last month, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need flowers. To make the colors chosen a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. Last month’s was garnet, and this month it’s amethyst, or purple.

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue.

When creating a color palette for your flower arrangement or wedding bouquet, choose analogous colors to amethyst, meaning next to it on the color wheel. These include dusty pinks and mauve-ish purples. Amethyst’s complement is a vibrant, bright green — a great way to make your purple flowers really POP! The tetrad and triad colors of amethyst are also easily incorporated into floral designs. The triad’s turquoise and tawny-browns give this hue a surprising rustic mood. Keep these colors in mind when creating your next Amethyst purple flower arrangement or color palette.

The following guide are a collection of very unique, amethyst colored flowers available from your local florists. Of course, there are also lovely purple roses, but most people know about those! This guide focuses on a purple flowers you might not think of!

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Amethyst Flowers For A Jewel of a Bouquet” »

Recently, we did an article about January birthday ideas and suggested sending flowers in the color of the January birthstone, garnet. After thinking about it for a while, there are a ton of great, garnet colored flowers! Garnet flowers can mark special moments in January, like anniversaries, weddings, or other memorable events, but garnet is a wonderful color that really deserves more attention. Use this guide to garnet flowers all year long to accent your favorite occasions!

Garnet is a gemstone that comes in a variety of colors, but it is mostly depicted as reddish-brown to dark reds. They can also be found in orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink and colorless.

When creating a color palette for your flower arrangement or wedding bouquet, choose analogous colors to garnet, meaning next to it on the color wheel. These include rusty oranges and dirty greens, even lime green. Garnet also offers a gorgeous complementary color of turquoise which was 2010′s color of the year.

The following guide are a collection of very unique, garnet colored flowers available from your local florists. Of course, there are also dark red roses, carnations, and many other common, cut flowers come in a shades of garnet, but most people know about those! This guide focuses on a garnet flowers you might not think of!

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading “Unusual Garnet Flowers To Match Your Unique Style” »

One of the best things about art class was being able to mix the paints and see all of the variations of color that formed from the controlled spills. Our eyes are naturally drawn to color and soak up the creative hues. Well, florists have the same opportunity every time an arrangement is started. Flowers come in a rainbow of colors so blending the shades and hues into a dazzling, eye-catching bouquet is truly an artform. Skilled floral designers are able to master this technique thanks to the color schemes found in the color wheel used by artists in a variety of genres.

Primary, Secondary, and Intermediate (Tertiary) Inspiration

Most artists are familiar with the primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary or intermediate colors. These colors form the basis of most other color schemes. The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These are the colors that can be blended or toned with achromatic hues to form every other color. Primary colors tend to be vivid and can therefore play a part in any arrangement needed a vibrant pop. These colors are often used alongside achromatic hues (white, black, gray) to please the eye. Secondary colors are orange, green, and violet. These are the colors formed from mixing one of the primary colors with another primary color.

Tertiary colors are the colors between primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. Red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, and yellow-orange are the tertiary colors. These are formed from mixing a primary color with the closest secondary color on either side according to the color wheel. Tertiary colors are particularly appealing in fall flower arrangements and other occasions that require warm, muted bouquets.

The Eight Main Color Harmonies

Understanding the basic colors and the basis of special colors is just the beginning in mastering the unique interweaving of colorful flowers into a dazzling arrangement. There are also various groupings of colors and their hues. Hue refers to the value of a color, i.e. the rich presence of a color as it applies to the gray scale. Basically, that’s a lengthy way to say how vivid or subtle a color is.

A color harmony is a grouping of specific hues and/or different values of a hue. There are essentially eight (8) color harmonies, though several have popular variations. These color combinations are:

1. Achromatic: Color scheme referring to a grouping of colors without hue. This includes white, black, and any shades (values) of gray.
2. Monochromatic: Grouping of various values of one hue; can include achromatic hues (white, black, gray.)
3. Polychromatic: Color grouping of multiple hues which may be related or unrelated.
4. Complementary: A pair of hues directly opposite each other and equidistant on the color wheel. Complementary colors and schemes have many variations such as near-complementary, split-complementary, analogous complementary, and double-complementary.
5. Analogous: Color scheme referring to the grouping of three adjacent hues on the color wheel wherein one color dominates. Ex:  deep red, dusky red, dark orange.
6. Diadic: two colors that are two colors apart on the color wheel; may also be seen as Dyadic referring to a grouping of two.
7. Triadic: grouping of three hues that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel.
8. Tetradic: a grouping of four hues that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel; forms an equally spaced double-complement.

Using these color schemes, a florist can easily create dimension and a colorful dynamic in flower arrangements. Knowing which colors appeal the most to the eye when paired with other colors is as much a matter of science as talent. While no one doubts the designer’s eye of a florist, using the color schemes of the color wheel provides another form of inspiration for floral designers.