Love and Hate

Photographed by Noa Griffel

This week I have become slightly obsessed with the installation for ‘New York Fashion Week’ that was designed by the landscape artist Miranda Brooks. According to the Tory Burch blog, 14,000 carnations were planted across 8000 square feet of mossed surface. The space and abundance of carnations is well executed and gives a satisfying, new perception of an otherwise bland flower. One that has arguably fallen out of favour with some florists over the years.

Seeing this installation has set me off on a mission to try and find other designs that include this well loved, but often disliked 80’s throw back flower, the carnation.

I was not disappointed when this beautiful design by Simone Gooch, owner of Fjura, popped up on my Instagram feed.

Photographed by Fjura

The impact of just one colour and one type of flower is fantastic; it makes a simple serene and billowed arrangement. In addition, the design makes the carnations appear as if they were climbing on top of each other, fighting for space, contrasting against the white and grey tones creating a soft peaceful and calming effect. The single carnation to the bottom right of the picture nicely breaks up the dense mass at the bottom of the piece.

After seeing the Fjura design I was itching to try and recreate a carnation arrangement myself. So this morning, with the arrival of a wrap of carnations from the market my day had finally come! Personally the design had to encapsulate the NY Fashion Week installment and the simplicity of the aforementioned Fjura arrangement.

Here is my final take on the carnations with some shells thrown in for good measure, I mean who doesn’t love the beach, right?!

Photographed by Vicky Vert

For the most part, Carnation flowers don’t sit well with me. When I take orders at work, nine times out of ten the customer will state ‘no carnations’, and I have to reassure them that ‘it’s not something we would usually have in’. I am still haunted by an all carnations bouquet I had to put together once for an order (70 carnations for every year), I do think they are making a come back in design.

Photographed by Anna Potter