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COLOURS OF FLORAL DESIGN
Uncovering Hidden Gems
By Jamie Hengartner
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***Apologies for image glitches in this article. Working on a fix!
My favourite colour is black, and my favourite thing to do is design with flowers. The challenge: finding black flowers to readily design with. What seems an obvious dilemma is actually an opportunity for designers to think creatively and uncover hidden gems. Before going further, I need to address a myth: “black flowers are for funerals or Halloween”. Not true. With the colour black having so much rich meaning, it has limitless potential. It’s time to realize it.
Floral design by Jamie Hengartner - Rylea Bloom
Photo by Jamie Hengartner
A In mother nature’s collection of flowers, there are two ways to approach black – by petal or by pistil.
First, are the handful of flowers with deep shaded petals: reddish, purplish, and even brownish petals that are as close as you’ll get to black. Not exactly black unless the petals are professionally dyed, but they play the same role by adding drama, depth, and emotion. They are stunning contrasted against light walls or tables or designed alongside light white or pastel flowers and can be admired from afar. Deep shaded petals are harmonious beside warm oranges and vibrant red flowers too, but the real beauty here is best admired up close when you can appreciate the deep petals taking on the hues of their warm vibrant neighbour.
Ranunculus ‘Black’: delicate & dark maroon petals, with a velvet texture.
The second way to achieve black is by selecting a flower with B a black pistil (the centre of the flower). There are usually more flowers with black pistils readily available, my favourites are Anemones, Poppies, and Black-Eyed Susan’s.
(Above) Anemone ‘Black Eyed Beauty’: striking black centre with contrasting white petals.
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ROUND DARK FLOWER NEAR CENTRE OF ARRANGEMENT: Scabiosa ‘Black Knight’: tiny, deep chocolate petals that resemble a pin-cushion. BOTTOM RIGHT OF ARRANGEMENT - Peruvian Lily ‘Dark Purple’: one stem contains 3 to 5 rich purple blooms.
