The Flower Blog

One of the most popular trends in fashion during the last several years has been flesh-tone, skin tone or nude colors.  At the on-set of this trend, I had difficulty sourcing flowers in these colors and often resorted to over-spraying flowers (lightly coating a flower with spray paint formulated for flowers).  Tinting flowers is not a bad practice, it’s just not one of my favorite techniques (the smell of the fumes and the uneven/inconsistent color are my top two reasons to stay away from paint).  As with any trend, the more mainstream it becomes, the more products are developed to meet the demand of the trend.  Lucky for florists and consumers alike, growers at the farm-level developed some wonderful options in flesh tones to accompany the nude fashion trend!

One of the most popular roses right now is Quicksand.  This beauty actually has a hint of very pale pink with a warm, sandy overtone.  I have seen this rose used in tandem with lavender, pale pink, peach and ivory for a subtle contrast.

A unique blend of mocha and ivory, Leonidas roses have been popular with autumn weddings for years.  The nude trend loves this rose, as seen in this bridal bouquet.  
Pale peach has been around for quite a while.  One of my favorite pale peach roses is the aromatic Osiana rose.  One of my favorite Gerbera is Pacific, pictured here in a bridesmaid’s bouquet. 

Another pale peach option that I have designed corsages with recently is a miniature rose called Chablis. This unique spray rose is dominantly pale peach with hints of ivory at the base of the petal. 

Vendela roses are a warm ivory tone, which I have working with for several years.  They are making an impact with the nude trend as a lighter, contrasting color.   

New on the scene, but trendy all the same, are Amnesia roses.  This unique lavender rose is very romantic with hints of taupe undertones.  Seen here with Antique hydrangea and pale pink roses, this combination hints at nude tones, without being completely colorless.

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As I watch the rain falling outside, I imagine the trees, grass, flowers, etc. joyfully drinking up the cool rain drops.  The plants look refreshed in the steady rain, especially after several days of sunny, warm weather.  However, I see a large peony bush, which yesterday was full of large, perfect peony blooms, now lying against the ground, the blooms beaten and bruised by the heavy rain.  This sight reminds me of the problem with peonies.

As our state flower, peonies are a very popular flower in Indiana.  Over the last couple of years, I have seen an increased popularity of peonies in wedding celebrations.  Peonies are large, fragrant blooms, which lend themselves to simple, yet elegant bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids.  So, what’s the problem?  Peonies have an extremely short season of availability.  Local peonies are only available for about 3-4 weeks a year, depending on the weather.  With the heavy rain today and with more heavy rain expected over the weekend, the season will be coming to an abrupt close for the local crops.  Local growers keep a close eye on the weather forecast to try and preserve as much of their crops for as long as possible.  If heavy rain is forecasted, the growers will harvest the peonies a little early.  They can then place them in water with floral preservative, and store them in a refrigerator, cooler or very cool environment, until they sell the blooms to a local florist.  

Peak season for the local peonies this year is now (late May).  Last year, the peak season was in April!  This is because in March, we had steady temperatures in the mid 80’s.  This year, our weather remained cooler than normal for April and even the beginning of May.  Generally speaking, the peak of our local peony season is around Mother’s Day.  Last year, the peak occurred early and this year the peak occurred late.  Therefore, another problem with peonies is trying to include them in an event (such as a wedding), not knowing if they will be available at the time of the event.  

Before you scrap peonies from you wedding plan altogether, here are some tips that I share with brides when I learn of their interest in peonies for their wedding.  

1. Plan the date of your wedding to coincide with peony season.  If you really wish to include fresh cut peonies in your wedding, plan your wedding early in the spring.  Peonies are not available in the summer and fall months.  Peonies are available from other countries in the late winter, which increases the probability of their availability.  Keep in mind, however, imported flowers are much more expensive due to the packaging and cost of shipping.

2. Have an alternative plan in place.  If weather affects the availability of the peony for your planned event, be sure to have another option ready to go, just in case.  I suggest garden roses (large headed, fragrant roses) or hydrangea.  

3. Source some “silk” (fake) peonies.  The silks that are produced now are very high quality compared to silks 20 years ago.  There are even times when I suggest silk flowers over fresh flowers if a particular color of flower is not available in nature.  On a number of occasions, I have designed fresh bouquets with silk accents to achieve the desired color or texture.

4. Cold storage.  Have the peonies on hand a week or two before you need them and keep them in water and cold storage.  We store flowers in our 500 square foot cooler at a chilly 34-36 degrees to keep them fresh for days.

Mother Nature does not always cooperate with our plans.  However, with a little planning, the problem with peonies can be minimized.

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Wedding Season

It seems funny to think that weddings have a season, but just like everything else in life, there is a constant ebb and flow.

It has been fairly quiet on the wedding front since Thanksgiving, which is typical. That’s not to say that we didn’t have beautiful weddings taking place, because we did!

This stunning bridal bouquet was carried for a New Year’s Eve wedding ceremony (how romantic)!

However, since Christmas, I have talked to more brides in less than two weeks than I have in nearly two months! What causes this sudden upswing in wedding flower shopping? Engagements, of course! Many couples get engaged during the holiday season and Valentine’s Day. For the next several months, I will be meeting with brides to start the initial planning and budgeting for their wedding flowers.

As we turn our calendars past February, brides will be finalizing their wedding plans for summer weddings. We service weddings year round, however our most popular months are March through October. This is what I have dubbed “wedding season” at our shop!

My schedule changes to reflect the needs of our brides, insuring that I am here when they need me! 

Planning a wedding? Email me for more information or to set up a consultation at:

weddings@gillespieflorists.com

Check out our wedding flowers on our website, complete with prices!

We’re halfway through 2011 and at Gillespie Florists; we know that brides each have their own very distinct style. However, there are a few color trends that are new to the 2011 wedding season.

Our Top 5!

#5 Spice  

Perhaps replacing classic red, this terra cotta colored spice version is gaining popularity for use year round, where prior to 2011, spice was nearly exclusive to fall weddings.

#4 Bright Yellow and Cream

Pale shades of yellow (often paired with tiffany blue) have been a staple for brides over the last couple of years, but this year the brighter yellows are blossoming.

#3 Peaches and Creams

Hinting at our number one color combination, this brighter version landed in the number 3 spot.

#2 Blue and White 

“Something borrowed, something blue” might be the mantra for brides choosing to accent their wedding décor with shades of blue (often paired with purple and/or green).

#1 Champagne, Ivory and Pink

Our number one color combination is trimmed with berries, beads and even wire accents; this bouquet is anything but bland!

Getting Married? Have questions about our Bridal bouquets or Weddings? Click below to get some answers!

In honor of the spring season, let’s talk about one of my favorite spring flowers - the tulip. 

Although different tulip colors carry distinct meanings - yellow tulips symbolize cheerful thoughts, white conveys forgiveness and purple represents royalty - a Turkish legend may be responsible for the red tulip's symbolism. The story goes that a prince named Farhad was love struck by a maiden named Shirin.  When Farhad learned that Shirin had been killed, he was so overcome with grief that he killed himself - riding his horse over the edge of a cliff.  It's said that a scarlet tulip sprang up from each droplet of his blood, giving the red tulip the meaning "perfect love."

The 11th wedding anniversary flower, it's said that the tulip’s velvety black center represents a lover's heart, darkened by the heat of passion. With the power to rival roses in their red variety and the sweet charm to express simple joy when yellow, it’s no wonder that in addition to all its other symbolism, in the language of flowers, a tulip bouquet represents elegance and grace.

Some tulips varieties have a slight fragrance. Some chefs consider the fresh petals of a tulip edible and use them in salads or on tea sandwiches.
Tulips play an important role in nature. They are a harbinger that spring has sprung and the winter season is almost finished!

Tulips blossom in early to late spring, depending on the climate in which they are planted. Cut tulips are primarily enjoyed during the same season, although they are now commercially grown to be available as a cut flower all year long.

Are you considering using tulips in your wedding?  Contact us for a complimentary consultation. 

We do it all the time. We surprise someone with a bunch of bright yellow flowers to cheer them up. We declare our fervent passion with two-dozen velvety roses. We sense the personalities of different flowers and intuitively choose one over another to fit our mood or the occasion. 

Wedding are the perfect occasion to incorporate meaning or symbolism with flowers.  Each and every bride has a different story and life circumstance so why not celebrate your personal journey with a special and meaningful flower.

Did you know that associating certain flowers with different meanings is an age-old art form? The Japanese call it Hanakotoba, and King Charles II brought it to Sweden from Persia in the 17th century.

Floriography – a fancy name for the language of flowers – was coined in the Victorian era, and while its original translations may have shifted over time, the notion that through flower symbolism we can express what we want to say (and may not be able to speak out loud) still holds true.

From the origin of a flower’s name to its distinctive characteristics and rich mythology, flowers are infused with symbolism and meaning. 

In the weeks that follow, I will be doing articles on some of the most popular wedding flowers and their meanings and symbolism.

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