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?
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?