GLORIOUS GLADS AND PRETTY POPPIES
“A flower doesn’t think of competing with the flower next to it, it just blooms.” –Zen Shin
Sunflowers, ageratum, celosia, brown-eyed Susans, and, of course, gladioli and poppies are all ideal for adding pops of brilliant colour to bouquets. Gladiolas are especially vivid and special because of their great size; you can effortlessly create an elaborate bouquet with just a few stalks. Poppies, on the other hand, are smaller but just as flamboyant in colour. A hillside dotted with poppies is so intense that it inspired numerous paintings by Impressionist master Claude Monet.
Gorgeous Gladiolus
The gladiolus is a stunning plant with exceptionally long, hardy stalks with leaves shaped like blades (giving it the nickname “sword lilies”) and immensely striking flowers that bloom in every colour imaginable. The flower has many meanings, including strength, victory, and infatuation. It is also a favorite for 40th wedding anniversaries.
Known for their impressive spikes of flowers that bloom on ostentatious stalks, gladioli are perfect for large, statement bouquets or spray arrangements. For this reason, some associate the flower with funerals but the blooms strongly represent life and symbolize never giving up. They are also old-fashioned as they are associated with the 17th century (when they were first discovered by Europeans blooming in South Africa).
For other vertical flowers that truly pack a punch, try using canna lilies in your bouquets or plant them in your garden for height. These work beautifully with gladioli to create a backsplash of colour against a wall or fence; they also need extra support as they grow very tall and are top-heavy. Other lofty flowers that pair well with gladioli include blazing star (Liatris), heliotrope, agapanthus, salvia, and cardinal flower. Most of these attract bees and butterflies, so they’re ideal for any garden and add great dimensions to your most impressive floral arrangements.
Pretty Poppies
“Summer set lip to earth’s bosom bare, and left the flushed print in a poppy there.”
–Edna St. Vincent Millay
In the Victorian Language of Flowers, poppies represent loss and deep sleep (think of Dorothy sleeping in the field of poppies in “The Wizard of Oz”). In Asia—specifically Japan and China—poppies symbolize something more positive, like passionate, deep love. In ancient Greece, poppies were thought to be a source of fertility and strength. Greek athletes were given a mixture of wine, honey, and poppy seeds to enhance their performance.
The association with poppies, deep sleep, and imagination comes from, most especially, the opium poppy. Because opium has been used since its discovery as a painkilling narcotic that promotes sleep and dreams, it’s no wonder that the flower from which it’s derived suggests these meanings.
While they do bloom in white, poppy flowers are generally beloved for their vivid hue of orangey red. Some other summer flowers that offer a brilliant pop of colour include marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, hibiscus, and coneflowers (Echinacea).
Chelsea Flowers
For the brightest and most beautiful vertical blossoms, look no further than Chelsea Flowers. One of their specialties is creating unique arrangements for events in all sorts of spaces, including hotel lobbies and showrooms. Heliconia or “lobster-claws” are prominently used in floral displays along with gladiolas and grandiose palms. They are also very commonly misidentified as bird-of-paradise. A beautifully arranged bouquet is so much more than a collection of flowers; it’s an ode to nature.
For more information on what Chelsea Flowers has to offer, check out the website.
For more on poppies and gladioli, follow the links below: