Colours of Floral Design

BY JAMIE HENGARTNER

Roses are NOT for Valentine’s Day

The day will come (soon I hope) when red roses are no longer reserved primarily for romantic gift-giving. It is 2021. Let’s look beyond the typical “man impresses woman on Valentine’s day with a dozen red roses”. Being in the floral industry for so long, and after watching decades of blockbuster romantic comedy films, it’s easy to see where the stereotypes are rooted, and in fact, are still perpetuated today.

Red evokes emotions far beyond romantic love. Red is energizing, stimulating, powerful, strengthening, courageous, radiant and motivating. These are prime reasons national flags incorporate red, or why so many businesses use red in their logos and product design. Celebrity red carpets and firetrucks use red to attract attention. It is also why so many people gravitate toward red clothing, red furniture and accessories, and even red brick homes or red cars. So knowing all this, what will it take to put stereotypes to rest when it comes to red roses and start choosing them during the other 364 days of the year? What will it take to redefine who can give and who can get red roses? Yes, red will always symbolize love, but from now on, every time you see a red rose, let it serve as a reminder to broaden your perspective to include: the strength of a friend, a passion for life, motivation for the next milestone, or even courage for self-love. Tell yourself is perfectly OK to include red roses in a gift for any of these situations. And yes, it is OK to treat yourself to red roses when it is your time for self-care.

Hand-held bouquet made of Freedom red roses, Black Bacarra red roses, Tangored ranunculus, and Nicholii seeded eucalyptus.

Let go of stereotypes, traditions or even ingrained childhood memories and try something new

It is wise to think broadly about red roses. As a floral designer, aside from designing arrangements, an important aspect of my role is to encourage clients to think differently about the flowers they want and colours they pick. This is similar to the way interior designers or fashion designers use colour in innovative ways to break the current mold. The same opportunity exists for flowers – red roses in particular - if we allow ourselves to let go of stereotypes, traditions, or even ingrained childhood memories that ultimately limit our willingness to try new things.

When I had a flower shop, I nudged clients to incorporate red roses to communicate emotions other than to express love (like for thankyou gifts, hostess gifts, or sympathy and birthdays). My advice was sometimes met with a polite wince, as if I had suggested something unacceptable or risky. I’m not giving up though. One person at a time, I will continue to encourage anyone to incorporate red roses outside the status quo. You can too.