Thank you for your amazing response to last week’s post about flower trends.Yes, I do agree with most of you: there is no such thing as a “bad” flower. That’s what makes our job so interesting. We are working with something naturally beautiful, so there is very little we can do to create an ugly arrangement.
However, based on my study of my client requests over the years, here is my verdict on which flowers are in or out based on geographical region:
America (of course, I am based in New York)
- Roses: In (especially the giant sizes and new varieties)
- Amaryllis: In
- Tulips : In (especially Parrot tulips)
- Dahlias: OUT
Middle East
- Roses: OUT (My clients claim they have been overused)
- Amaryllis: In
- Tulips: In
- Dahlias: OUT
Asia
- Roses: In
- Amaryllis: In
- Tulips: In
- Dahlias: In
Europe
- Roses: Almost on their way out (I get conflicting request from clients.)
- Amaryllis: In
- Tulips: In (especially French tulips)
- Dahlias: In
So there you have it. Please don’t kill the messenger.
Now for this week, growing up in Panama, birds of paradise and other tropical flowers were considered weeds growing in my back yard. So, I was very surprised when tropical flowers became the thing to do back in the ’80s. Even today there is a large demand for these flowers all over the world.
Tell me… which of these tropical flowers do you consider IN or OUT?
Strelitzia Reginae a.k.a. Bird of paradise
(Photo Via)
Anthurium
(Photo via)
Leucospermum a.k.a Pincushion
(Photo via)
Heliconia a.k.a Lobster Claw
(Photo via)
And please tell me, how do you feel about tropical flowers?
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
camilla svensson burns
March 24, 2010
I have to stay that Birds of Paradise and Heleconia are me least favorite and never work with them.
Antherium I think are great for contemporary arrangements and Pin cushion are fabulous for texture!
Dahlias are still a hot request in California…
shereen mokhtar
March 24, 2010
Dear Mr Preston ,
iam wedding planner in Cairo and i send to you my link group at facebook so pleeeeeeeeeeeeese till me your opinion in it
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67314532000
NB : my dream to be one day like you one day Mr Preston i love your work style
shereen mokhtar
0101799970
Gloria Brown
March 24, 2010
I was a little surprised to learn about Dahlias: OUT because they are so big and fluffy. But I’m happy to see that roses are In.
Birds of paradise: In
Anthurium: In
Pincushion: In
Heliconia: OUT
In your photo, the Heliconia looks like a bunch of red devil’s horns stacked …LOL
I absolutely love tropical flowers! I hope to have many requests for them in the future.
Emily Tolve
March 24, 2010
Shereen, I added you on Facebook! I was just in Egypt in August (yes, it was very hot)… wish I had known about you before then so I could have seen your events in person! Very cool.
As for in & out trends in exotics/tropicals- we’ve had a lot of requests for every variety of Protea. Birds & Heliconia are also requested, but not nearly as often as Protea. Anthurium are probably the least requested here. We still use them, and have no complaints, but it’s very, very rare we have a client ask for them.
Barbara Ramoutar
March 24, 2010
I’m from the carribean, so like you Preston ,grew up with most of them as wild flowers, most Trinis love tropicals,
with all the bright colors, and shapes, and with mixed folage, my question is how to make them out lasts, the imported ones.
When mixed with roses or tigers, even muns.they begin to die first.
Gloria Brown
March 24, 2010
To Shareen,
I enjoyed looking at your photos! Very nice quality work with big productions. You should publish a book on your work.
While looking at your photos, a question came to me for Preston.
Preston, I’m so tired of seeing the same boring white chair covers at events. Do you have any tricks of the trade to offer on chair covers? I love glitz and fluff chair covers but they are costly.
Shanika Butts
March 25, 2010
I actually have a September wedding here in Chalotte, where the groom is from St. Croix and we are using Birds of Paradise and the Pincushion flower in a number of the arrangements. I love both of them!! I’m a planner, not a florist so I guess my opinion may be a bit different considering I don’t work with flowers everyday.
Janny
March 25, 2010
Hi Preston and everyone,
I am writing from Vancouver, Canada where anthuriums and pincushions are “in.” Heliconia are “out” depending on the variety and birds are “out.” Too “Dynasty” era I was once told.
Roses (David Austin in particular), tulips, and dahlias are always “in” in my books!
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Preston. Your knowledge is appreciated.
Christopher Burson
March 25, 2010
Hello Preston and fellow neighbors. Im in Birmingham, AL. Tropicals are difinitely in. Please down south love the unuasl. Pink mink protea, King protea, Honey comb Ginger, and bromelaids. Torch ginger is out tho. As Anithiriums… Mass majority of my company is dedicated to funeral work. They go razy over anthiriums. I even mimic the anthirium by cutting a spath.
forex robot
March 27, 2010
Keep posting stuff like this i really like it
Australian Flowers
June 18, 2010
What about Australian flowers! Would love to write about what’s trendy, popular and whats on the way out
L_Alexandra
July 18, 2010
it was very interesting to read.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
shuddery
July 31, 2010
I would like to exchange links with your site http://www.prestonbailey.com
Is this possible?
Yvonne
August 6, 2010
Loved reading your take on whats in and out on the continents – but… what happened to South America? I suppose it doesn’t come up on your radar… no?
Navjot
October 16, 2010
In northern India, we do not have these tropicals but they have always inspired me because of the unique colors, shape and size. I like bird of paradise as I can use this one as a image of a bird. I would say in, Anthurium also in as I noticed that they can be sprayed to match the theme. I remember that one of my client wanted large arrangements using Anthuriums. Pincushion would be out because the color and texture. Plus none of my clients have asked for these. Heliconia would be in as it add height with eye catching look.
mietwagen mallorca
October 22, 2010
last week our class held a similar talk about this topic and you illustrate something we have not covered yet, thanks.
- Kris
Jordan Stätz
January 23, 2011
I really believe Heliconia is on the verge of a comeback… at least here in the midwest. My customers are tired with birds of paradise and certainly don’t respond well to any kind of protea – much to my chagrin… Oh, god… and don’t even get me started on ginger!
Don’t get me wrong… I love working with tropicals… but I think their often rigid sort of nature makes them a pleasant challenge to work with. They give this opportunity to balance their exotic nature with their pliable foliage counterparts…
I propose some of the frustration with tropicals is that it is so easy to become complacent with tropical design… I mean it’s easy to just create a big dramatic line with odd groups and just be done with it and tempting to fall into that trap instead of pushing tropicals to be something more extraordinary.
Sara Shaw
April 13, 2011
I don’t do weddings for a few reasons.
I do love to design for showers, parties & holiday events.
My clients seem to love Gerbera daisies & Alstromeria lilies for casual indoor & outdoor parties. So many colors to combine & they last a long time.
Many blessings to all !
max
June 1, 2011
Love all four of these flowers and together would look great too. Thanks,
Anthea Walcott
June 14, 2011
I am from the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago and all the Tropicals are very much in,especially Anthuriums and Heliconias, we grow many varieties that lend themselves to varying designs and usage. Our Anthuriums range from deepest reds into the lightest pinks, whites, greens, chocolates, peach into oranges and even somepurples. As for heliconias some small varieties may be used as fillers and the larger ones may be used for mass , form and lines. The range of colours are reds, pinks, oranges and golden yellows. Generally the shelf life ranges between 10-14 days. The flowers are great to work with lend themselves to grande and exotic floral masterpices.
YOUR NAME
November 1, 2011
Bird of paradise IN
Anthurium IN
Pincushion OUT
Lobster Claw IN
Omu Obilor
November 1, 2011
Bird of paradise IN
Anthurium IN
Pincushion OUT
Lobster Claw IN
Brittany
December 15, 2011
I love all these flowers but all for different reasons. Depending on what the client has for style and color choice, I think any of these, with a mixture of other flowers, would make a lovely and unique arrangement!