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March 2002
Not just because St. Patrick's Day is approaching, but have you noticed how much green is showing up in your local flower shop? Since fresh flowers automatically come with leaves and stems, the color green has always been a fact of life, taken for granted and usually understated in flower arrangements. But with the resurgent popularity of green as a fashionable hue in recent years, professional florists are recognizing the value of emphasizing this color in their designs. Just like any color, green can be expressed in a wide range of tones, tints, shades, and intensities. And while we normally consider green to be a receding, "cool" color, the hue that really catches our eye is a "hot" chartreuse green. Think Versace.
Artists, including floral designers, are familiar with the color wheel, a visual tool which organizes colors according to the spectrum and allows us to see various relationships among them. On one side of the wheel are the so called "warm", or advancing colors, including reds, oranges, and yellows. On the other side are the "cool" or receding colors, such as lavender, blue, and green. Purple, a blend of cool blue and warm red, sits between the two groups and consequently is an effective accent color in nearly any color harmony. With it's unique and mysterious personality, purple has traditionally been associated with royalty, magic, and spirituality.
Chartreuse, being a combination of warm yellow and cool green, has similar qualities. It is the direct complement to red-purple, and it is a color which is practically unavoidable to the human eye. And for those reasons, it can really add a lot of punch to a flower arrangement, flattering both the advancing and the receding hues.
Now more than ever before, professional florists have dozens of choices when it comes to selecting green blossoms, and flower growers have been racing to provide the market with even more. It used to be that tall, kelly green Bells-of- Ireland and the occasional apple-green gladiolus were about the only flowers available in a verdant hue. But now we regularly have access to mint green hydrangeas, natural pistachio green carnations, fuji mums the color of anti-freeze, and a vivid chartreuse spray chrysanthemum called, appropriately, Kermit'. In the spring there are green viburnum blossoms and daffodils. Pale green celosia, lisianthus and zinnias appear in the summer. Alchemilla, atriplex, and bupleurum are green-toned filler flowers. Among the more exotic blooms are Midori' anthuriums and Green Goddess' callas. There are even greenish roses available, like Limona' and Jade', with more varieties presently being developed in Holland. Bright green produce items such as limes, brocco-flower, and Granny Smith apples make great design accents as well.
There's no need to be green with envy......you can have these emerald gems for your very own. Just call or visit your local professional florist today.
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