Oh Carnation!

"Oh, Carnation!"


A colleague and I used to say that in the backroom when we would accidentally snap a flower. We would put the broken flower in a bud vase and clean more flowers. But every time we snapped a flower or dropped a bucket of water, that same floral curse would pop on our lips. "Oh, Carnation!"

I feel in many ways carnations have a bad reputation as being a cheap flower or a funeral flower. A flower that is used to fill out an inexpensive arrangement. When I ask a customer if there is anything specific that they want for their arrangement, frequently they say, "I'm fine with anything as long as there are no carnations in it."

But I've got to say don't let these Plain Janes of the flower world fool you. While they may seem like spinsters compared to the beauty of a rose (I personally think that roses are divas... but I am in the minority on this), carnations can be dressed up. And let me tell you when they are, they are sparkling, vibrant, and oozing sophistication like Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady (or anything that she was in really).

We have had several weddings that have used the deep purple Moonvista carnation as part of their bridal bouquet. One bride even did her entire bouquet with Moonvista carnations. It was stunning. The purple is so deep that it looks like velvet or the deep purple of the sky when the moon starts rising in the evening. It's a rich, soul-penetrating purple.

Look at the bridal bouquet to the right and tell me that that is not gorgeous. Can you believe that those are carnations? I know I took back every unkind thing I said about carnations when I saw how a carnation can reach its full potential.

They are beautiful in an understated sort of way. They defy current perceptions and trends. They are Audrey Hepburn who embodied grace and elegance but was also a little gawky and silly.

Audrey on her wedding day.

Now I don't say "Oh, Carnation!" because I snapped a flower or tripped over a bucket or slipped in the cooler. I say it because they are beautiful.

What flower do you love but feel that it gets a bad reputation?

What celebrity would that flower be?

Jennie

Staffer

DSF

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