Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!
Find Your Local Florist:
Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!

Flower Spotlight: Dianthus

Dianthuses have been around for centuries. They’re more commonly known as carnations and come in almost every color of the rainbow. Keep reading to learn more about their origin, meaning, and some interesting facts: [Read more…]

Hey! What’s THAT Flower?

We’ve all gotten flowers before and tried our best to guess what kind of flowers they are. Roses, lilies, carnations… those are the easy ones. What about the more-rare flowers that florists use? Have you ever received an arrangement with a unique flower that made you call your florist just to ask “Hey! What was THAT flower?”

We polled our florists on Facebook and they told us which flowers gets the MOST curious attention from their customers..

Red Protea Pincushion Pincushion Protea – This unique flower always has heads turning. “What flower is that?” Pincushions are native to Zimbabwe and South Africa. They grow naturally in sparse forests and mountain slopes. They are available year-round in colors of red, red-orange, orange and yellow. More about Pincushions
Green Trick Dianthus Green Trick Dianthus – You might be surprised, this is a cousin of the common carnation we all know so well. These super long-lasting, furry flowers that add interesting texture and form to any floral arrangement. So far, these are only available in shades of green to blueish-green. (Unless you florists know otherwise, let me know in the comments below!) Green Tick & Other Green Flowers [Read more…]

Peridot – Lime Green Flower Guide

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,

 Lime Green Complementary Color

Lime Green Triad of Color Lime Green Tetrad of Color

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. [Read more…]

Emerald Green 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,

Complimentary Colors for Emerald Green Triad of Colors for Emerald Green

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. [Read more…]

Making A Comeback: The Carnation

Carnation Comeback

Modern CarnationsDating all the way back to ancient Greece, the carnation was once a prized favorites amongst the elite of society. Even the name is from the Greek words dios (divine) and anthos (flower) — the Divine Flower. For centuries artists and writers used the carnation as a vibrant muse for their creations. Demand for the carnation practically ceased in the 17th century and the flower hasn’t seen much of a revival since — until now!

Trendsetters, fashionistas, high-end florists, and even the queen of decor, Martha Stewart, are turning to the carnation for use in their modern designs.

What Sparked This New Interest In Carnations?

The new interest in carnations was possibly sparked by the efforts of the Flower Council Holland in 2000. The council sponsored promotional events with the theme, “Looking Differently at Carnations.” These events promoted the new aspects of modern carnations.

Modern Carnations – The new varieties of carnations are not like what you’d see at the corner store.

  • Larger, more showier flowers
  • New editions of vibrant, trendy colors
  • New styles, such as the award winning, “Barbatus Green Ball”
  • Intense, clove-like aroma
  • Can last up to 4 weeks with proper care (flower food)

Growers have been focused on creating the best possible products in the most variety of colors. New carnations are available in FAR more than white, pink, red or dyed.

Slowly but surely, florists everywhere are picking up on the carnation comeback trend, although most are still unsure what to even do with them. Brides have even been reported to laugh at the idea of using carnations as a main wedding flower. Still, the market is always looking for something new, and these new, incredible carnations are getting hotter by the minute. Only time will tell if this trend continues, but as reported to the Wall Street Journal, high-style florist and current carnation enthusiast, Bronson Van Wyck, may have to switch allegiance from the flower he likens to a wildebeest. “If carnations get too popular, I’m going to have to find something else.”

Popular Modern Carnation Varieties

‘Barbatus Green Ball’ DianthusEverybody’s favorite carnation right now is, by far, the fuzzy ‘Barbatus Green Ball.’ This little guy doesn’t even look like his carnation cousins! In fact, many florists are calling modern carnations by their genus name, Dianthus, to make them sound a bit more chic to fashion-forward brides. This variety got a lot of attention at the during SAF’s Outstanding Varieties Competition in Orlando. Outstanding traits from the competition: Super long-lasting, furry flowers that add interesting texture and form to any floral arrangement. Ten-centimeter flower diameters make it the biggest dianthus in the market.

Contact your local florists and ask about modern carnations today!

This post is brought to you by local Tacoma florists.
Not in Tacoma WA? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy directory of local florists to find a florist near you.