The Guide to Bronze Blooms
Apr 23, 2020
Umber, cappuccino, mocha, russet, chestnut, bronze, copper, sepia - whichever way you slice it, brown is one of the newest colour palettes to explore within floral design, and it has to be of my favourite colour palettes to use right now. Brown toned blooms are a relatively new hue to the floral palettes available to us floral designers, and just like children gifted a new pack of crayons, they’ve given us new possibilities to explore.
The one downside? Sometimes these flowers can be more than a little elusive - as they’re new to the market, there isn’t a whole heap of floral materials to pick from. If you’re a lover of brown blooms too, there are a few gems that you need to keep an eye out for - and the blooms we’ll dive into below are great way to explore Spring and Summer colour, with an unexpected and refreshing twist.
Roses
For a recent shoot I was so excited to be able to use one of my favourite ‘brown’ roses “Toffee” which I nestled into the arrangement above, alongside a few more brown-ish toned gems including Daucus, Lilac, Fritillaria and sweet peas. Brown roses can be a tricky one to hunt down as brown isn’t the most natural colour to find on a petal.
If you’re on the lookout for some to try, be sure to check out the following varieties for your designs : Leonidas, Combo, Coffee Break, Cappuccino, Quicksand, Caffe Latte and Macchiato. If you’re looking for a few more options which are a little more ‘nude’ as opposed to brown, (which are super popular for our brides right now) look out for Menta, Sahara or Sandy instead.
Looking for a brown spray rose to compliment? Try “Earth” - you won’t regret it!
Lisianthus
In the Lisianthus family, there are two cultivars that are worth looking out for : “Rosanne Deep Brown” and “Rosanne Black Pearl”. Deep Brown is actually more of beautiful latte tone, which you’ll be able to work through a huge variety of tones - from apricots, pinks, lemons or otherwise. Rosanne Black Pearl is a more purply-brown tone - not a true brown - but it can be a useful colour ingredient when mixing brown tones with other purple or blue tones, which is why I think it’s worth a mention here.
Carnations
Reliable as ever, good old carnations can be relied upon nicely when we’re exploring the brown palette, and you’ll find these varieties will hold up just as well as any other colour when it comes to vase life. Explore Dianthus ‘Terracotta’, ‘Caramel’, ‘Viper’ and ‘Antique Orchid’ for best results - you won’t be disappointed!
Dyed Blooms
Over the past year or two, there has been a huge rise in the availability of dyed product - in an incredible number of tones, including brown ‘brownies’ and a sweet cappuccino tone, labelled ‘caramel’. Often available from the grower VIP, based in Holland, you’ll find these dyed blooms available all year around, within the season that the flower type would typically bloom in - for example, in Spring you’ll be able to order ‘Brownie’ Tulips, and in Summer, ‘Brownie’ Sweet peas. They’re not for everyone, and natural brown blooms are available, but they can add a certain something extra in the right arrangement.
And a whole host more…
Although we are more limited in options for brown blooms than we are for other hues, there are a surprising number of natural brown blooms available across Spring, Summer and Autumn/Fall.
Below we’ve compiled a list of our favourite bronze hued blooms - do feel free to book mark, or keep it in a useful place for your next wedding or photoshoot.
ROSES - BROWN - LEONIDAS, COMBO, COFFEE BREAK, CAPPUCCINO, QUICKSAND, CAFE LAFE, MACCHIATO / ROSES - NUDE & BROWN - MENTA, SAHARA, SANDY / ROSES - SPRAY - EARTH / RANUNCULUS BUTTERFLY ‘THESEUS’ / SCABIOSA SEED PODS / CYMBIDIUM ‘CHARLIE BROWN’ OR ‘SUNSET BROWN’ / DAUCUS / PHLOX / LISIANTHUS “ROSANNE DEEP BROWN” / DIANTHUS - TERRACOTTA, CARAMEL, VIPER, ANTIQUE ORCHID / FRITILLARIA - PERSICA & MELEGARIS / DYED BROWN PRODUCT - SWEET PEAS, PEONIES, TULIPS, ROSES, CARNATIONS / CHOCOLATE COSMOS / CHRYSANTHEMUMS - PIP SUNNY, BARTOLI, MAVERICK SUNNY / HELLEBORE / HEIRLOOM IRIS / AMARANTHUS / HELIANTHUS - SYRINGA
Until next time.
Artist. Educator. Writer. Broadcaster.
