Can We Discuss the Anti-Carnation Thing?
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Joe Mioux
Well-Known Member
sure, people hate them.
unfortunately, they don't know why they hate them.
Carns used to have a clove scent and florists used them at funerals, alot of them.
Not sure about the next part but I was told that it was used to mask the stench of the decaying body. This was prior to embalming fluids and other modern embalming/makeup techniques.
Anyway modern embalming came and so the carns stayed as a florist staple. Hybridizers, in attempt to breed more and more colors sacrificed the scent for bigger and more colorful carns. This also goes for roses.
Today, florists hate them but I like them - partly due to the fact that other florists hate them, but mainly because they offer a terrific value for the consumer, they come in great colors, last a long time and are easy to process and use.
It's up to the designer to make the interesting arrangements with them.
joe
unfortunately, they don't know why they hate them.
Carns used to have a clove scent and florists used them at funerals, alot of them.
Not sure about the next part but I was told that it was used to mask the stench of the decaying body. This was prior to embalming fluids and other modern embalming/makeup techniques.
Anyway modern embalming came and so the carns stayed as a florist staple. Hybridizers, in attempt to breed more and more colors sacrificed the scent for bigger and more colorful carns. This also goes for roses.
Today, florists hate them but I like them - partly due to the fact that other florists hate them, but mainly because they offer a terrific value for the consumer, they come in great colors, last a long time and are easy to process and use.
It's up to the designer to make the interesting arrangements with them.
joe
The anti-carnation thing is more of a florist thing than consumer thing from my experience.
Yes, we have a few customers who aren't carnation fans, but that's usually when they see them used in very boring ways. Most of those people love them when they see a fun new novelty color or see them used in a cool design.
There are also a few people out there that don't like them because they think of them as "funeral" flowers. Those same people usually don't like glads.
However, the vast majority of our customers are big fans because they last so long.
Yes, we have a few customers who aren't carnation fans, but that's usually when they see them used in very boring ways. Most of those people love them when they see a fun new novelty color or see them used in a cool design.
There are also a few people out there that don't like them because they think of them as "funeral" flowers. Those same people usually don't like glads.
However, the vast majority of our customers are big fans because they last so long.
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
I'm with Joe....
We use two boxes of Florigene a week, and along with that we stock red, pink and white, along with the new pinks and green. I've noticed recently some of the new ones have a very nice scent....especially the pinks...
Side trip... embalming is not law in most places...this is one area people are saving funds with cremations and burials too...
We use two boxes of Florigene a week, and along with that we stock red, pink and white, along with the new pinks and green. I've noticed recently some of the new ones have a very nice scent....especially the pinks...
Side trip... embalming is not law in most places...this is one area people are saving funds with cremations and burials too...
Carnations are a prefered flower for the consumer.
Some like it because how long they last, some don't.
I did 2 funeral this weekend and I did not use that many carnations. If It was one of my other staff member it woud be carns and daisy which I hate because she used them too much.
Now there is some shops out there that willnot order carnations in for anything.
I say they are snob!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry if I offend anyone on here)
Luc
Some like it because how long they last, some don't.
I did 2 funeral this weekend and I did not use that many carnations. If It was one of my other staff member it woud be carns and daisy which I hate because she used them too much.
Now there is some shops out there that willnot order carnations in for anything.
I say they are snob!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry if I offend anyone on here)
Luc
Joe Mioux
Well-Known Member
btw; Mark, I am sure you remember, as a kid, walking in your parent's shop and really smelling flowers. There was always a certain aroma when you walked in a shop that even if blindfolded told you that you were in a flower shop.
I miss that, especially the carnations.
joe
I wrote this in another thread - I think it sums up the carnation biases well,
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We as florists - we killed the carnation - not the professional, educated, trained, retail florist, but the hobbiest, the amateur, the little old lady who likes to 'do flowers' for her garden club and thinks - I'll open a shop and do these pretty little things. Gathered into a vase with leatherleaf, babys breath, and a big bow....or scads of them in a whitewash basket......with tons of babys breath and leather.
Carnations, Babys breath, Gladiola - three flowers that have dual looks - when arranged by the hobbiest or the untrained amateur - look old-fashioned, poorly done, gobs of babys breath to hide mistakes........vice versa......in the hands of a properly educated, trained, professional floral designer......those basic flowers can be transformed into works of ethereal grace and beauty
In order to recapture the grace, beauty, and charm that is the carnation......we need to use them in exciting, unique, and different ways.
A good example-I wish I had a picture, but a very good friend of mine - Ed Fisher AIFD works for the Charleston Place hotel ( this is a 5 star hotel ) - In their main dining room, he did a huge pave sphere of all red carnations atop a pedestal........and drew rave reviews. ( It should be noted that the executive chef hates carnations.....He was quoted as saying, that design was breathtaking......who would have ever thought simple carnations could look like that.
One of the most beautiful stage designs I ever saw was done in DC for symposium by Talmadge McLaurin AIFD using nothing but carnations and pixie carnations - He took various sized plexiglass risers and trays.....filled the trays with chopped up green stems of carnations, and had arranged different size spheres of florigene carnations......the shades of rich purple against the vibrant green was totally gorgeous.
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Just thought of something - Might make for a good avertising/marketing tidbit - In his play "Midsummer night's dreams" - Shakespeare wrote "The fairest flowers o'er our fields are our carnations"
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We as florists - we killed the carnation - not the professional, educated, trained, retail florist, but the hobbiest, the amateur, the little old lady who likes to 'do flowers' for her garden club and thinks - I'll open a shop and do these pretty little things. Gathered into a vase with leatherleaf, babys breath, and a big bow....or scads of them in a whitewash basket......with tons of babys breath and leather.
Carnations, Babys breath, Gladiola - three flowers that have dual looks - when arranged by the hobbiest or the untrained amateur - look old-fashioned, poorly done, gobs of babys breath to hide mistakes........vice versa......in the hands of a properly educated, trained, professional floral designer......those basic flowers can be transformed into works of ethereal grace and beauty
In order to recapture the grace, beauty, and charm that is the carnation......we need to use them in exciting, unique, and different ways.
A good example-I wish I had a picture, but a very good friend of mine - Ed Fisher AIFD works for the Charleston Place hotel ( this is a 5 star hotel ) - In their main dining room, he did a huge pave sphere of all red carnations atop a pedestal........and drew rave reviews. ( It should be noted that the executive chef hates carnations.....He was quoted as saying, that design was breathtaking......who would have ever thought simple carnations could look like that.
One of the most beautiful stage designs I ever saw was done in DC for symposium by Talmadge McLaurin AIFD using nothing but carnations and pixie carnations - He took various sized plexiglass risers and trays.....filled the trays with chopped up green stems of carnations, and had arranged different size spheres of florigene carnations......the shades of rich purple against the vibrant green was totally gorgeous.
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Just thought of something - Might make for a good avertising/marketing tidbit - In his play "Midsummer night's dreams" - Shakespeare wrote "The fairest flowers o'er our fields are our carnations"
We still get that from people. I just don't even smell it anymore. Maybe we get used to it? It helps when you have flowers and bouquets displayed outside of the cooler. We sell lily bouquets that are always out in the open air-that may make a difference.
P.S. we had tuberose on our counter last week and it smelled wonderful!
A wealthy artist friend of mine accompanied me to AIFD this year. In our conversations, I found out that she would never use a carnation in her designs because THE FLORISTS she had dealt with had told her they were too common for her tastes.
Of course, I gave her my flower snob lecture and then proceeded to show her many wonderful designs that were created with carnations by some of the best designers in the world. By the time we left, she was sold on using them.
It is all in the presentation.
Carol Bice
Of course, I gave her my flower snob lecture and then proceeded to show her many wonderful designs that were created with carnations by some of the best designers in the world. By the time we left, she was sold on using them.
It is all in the presentation.
Carol Bice
I remember the second shop I worked for grew their own carnations, and it was wonderful to walk into that greenhouse to water or cut the carnations. It was the white and the pink ones that smelled the most...........I think they were called white simm and pink simm (sp)
oh yah that was back before the days of Columbian carns.
twiggy
Well-Known Member
carnations lost their appeal because florists decided there were other sexier flowers they wanted to work with.
Customers then found them at the grocery stores, and in order to be different/ better than the lowly grocery, florists moved farther and farther away from the carnation and other 'grocery' flowers.
So here we are today with mass marketers getting a healthy share of our business selling what the customer wants to buy.
Customers then found them at the grocery stores, and in order to be different/ better than the lowly grocery, florists moved farther and farther away from the carnation and other 'grocery' flowers.
So here we are today with mass marketers getting a healthy share of our business selling what the customer wants to buy.
I love carnations. The white ones smell so good! I have no funeral associations with them, I came on the scene after that I guess. How can you not love a ruffly, round, longlasting flower that either smells really good or comes in great colors?
However the ladies here (aka my customers) turn their nose up at them for the most part so it is not profitable to stock them normally. I do use them upon request and it really is in the presentation. They look great as a mass - paved, or as an addition for depth and texture. Nothing wrong with carnations at all, IMO.
However the ladies here (aka my customers) turn their nose up at them for the most part so it is not profitable to stock them normally. I do use them upon request and it really is in the presentation. They look great as a mass - paved, or as an addition for depth and texture. Nothing wrong with carnations at all, IMO.
I agree with the funeral thing, and as for myself, that smell makes me think of death, for that very reason, is what lots of our older customers tell us: They should be only used for funeral displays" yeah they do come in great colors and such, for myself, they won't work in my business, for the association of the funeral aspect of them.
Carnations were my late Mum's favorite flower so I can't feel too bad about them. I agree with everyone who says that we have shot ourselves in the foot with carnations by being boring with them. I have just done a handtied wedding bouquet of tightly packed carnations and skeleton leaves and it looked fab. The bride was thrilled and as she owns a bridal shop thats no bad thing I've had loads of repeat business from that one bouquet. Our destiny is in our own hads when it comes to educating customers and using flowers in cutting edge ways. How can yu have a downer on a little flower that offers so many luscious coloursand will happily last a fortnight. They make me smile because whenever i see them I see the smile on my Mum's face on a Friday night when my Dad bought them home for her (and yes before you ask her coffin spray was ALL clove carnations she would have loved it)
Sarah Botchick
Well-Known Member
The first flowers I ever received were a bouquet of beautiful burgundy carnations that my dad brought me one time when I was a teenager and very sick. I put them in a wide mouth wine bottle as a vase. I will always like carnations, even if they aren't "cool."
It's all about memory association.
It's all about memory association.
We tend to sell towards a little bit higher end clientele, mostly business people, and they almost always tell me no carns, daisies or BB. I try to stock and use carnations regularly, have never badmouthed them, so don't tell me it's my fault they don't like them.
Recently did a rather "old fashioned" clean, highstyle design with only red carns and greens, actually got some complements on it, can't remember if it sold or not. So old it was new again, L shaped design, but then we have customers that like different. One of my favorite things are the mocha rose with the carnation that is very similar, that mauve color. Love that, but the other designer says it looks too dead and boring, so I don't buy them. I also like the hot pink and melon colors, very bright, really adds color.
Trish
Recently did a rather "old fashioned" clean, highstyle design with only red carns and greens, actually got some complements on it, can't remember if it sold or not. So old it was new again, L shaped design, but then we have customers that like different. One of my favorite things are the mocha rose with the carnation that is very similar, that mauve color. Love that, but the other designer says it looks too dead and boring, so I don't buy them. I also like the hot pink and melon colors, very bright, really adds color.
Trish
twiggy
Well-Known Member
Trish- I was not singling any one florist out- please don't be offended.
I am with Ricky and Carol.. and everyone else that enjoys carns...
I LOVE CARNS!
It is much more difficult IMO and requires greater design skill and imagination to create something outstanding and amazing out of something ordinary (ie.. a carnation) than to create something extraordinary out of something that God already made extraordinary (ie.. tropicals)
I LOVE CARNS!
It is much more difficult IMO and requires greater design skill and imagination to create something outstanding and amazing out of something ordinary (ie.. a carnation) than to create something extraordinary out of something that God already made extraordinary (ie.. tropicals)
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