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Floral Color Trends

I am including information from The American Floral Forecast on my soon-to-be-launched website and thought I'd give you a preview of one of the trends.

PROFUSION
It's become cliche to deliberate on how chaotic our world has abecome. Yet in the realm of nature ornamental horticulture is the desire to redefine the ways in which new varieties while designers continue their remix, and in the process of this, beauty is redefined.

This trend information and photo are courtesy of the California Cut Flower Commission.  To learn more visit www.ccfc.org

Color Appeal of an Onion

Gone are the days of every plate being garnished with parsely or orange slices but it doesn't mean that diners don't expect the meal to have a certain color appeal.  Now even the lowly onion has to show color if it expects to make the grade.

For years most quick service retailers (QSR also known as fast food restaurants) used white or yellow onions almost exclusively in food preparation and occassionally used red onions for salads.  This first came to my attention in a Forbes magazine article commenting on the increasing use of red over white onions by major QSR chains. 

They pointed out that Pizza Hut made the switch to red onions back in 1997, with Subway following suit two years later.  Now almost a decade later most chains have made the switch because consumers prefer red onions based on their visual appeal. 

Pumpkin Blues Complement Orange

Of all the non-traditional colors for pumpkins blue to seems to be the most unexpected.  Perhaps it is that blue is the complement of orange or maybe its that so few food items are blue that anything new in this color seems a bit odd.  Whatever the reason a blue pumpkin gets noticed!

The Australian Blue, or Jarrahdale, is a  medium sized, deeply ribbed and often flattened pumpkin that is light blue or grey in color.  A cross breed between Blue Hubbard and Cinderella the Jarrahdale is more of a squash than a true pumpkin and has golden yellow flesh with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.

From Japan we get the Kakai pumpkin with blue grey skin highlighted with orange stripes. The Kakai has naturally blue seeds rich in good fats and proteins which make this a very desirable variety.

Blue Lakota like its Red Lakota cousin is an heirloom variety from the American Midwest with slight ribs and is a bit pear shaped.

Combining blue pumpkins with orange creates a striking display as the two colors play off one another.  If you enjoy painting or photography this combination may ignite a creative spark.

Pictures from www.underwoodgardens.com and www.hauntedbay.com

Red Pumpkins: Unusual Color, Interesting Shapes

Red may be an interesting color for a pumpkin but what is just as interesting are the shapes of the Cinderella, Lakota and Red Warty varieties.

One of the most beautiful pumpkins of any color, the Rouge Vif d'Estampes is a unique heirloom from France introduced into the US in the late 1800s.  It is thought to have been the inspiration for the carriage in the Cinderella fairy tale and has become known as the Cinderella pumpkin. 

With a deeply ribbed, large, somewhat flattened shape its exterior can range in color from neon red-to-pink to a deep red orange.  As if to keep itself from bein marred the Cinderella pumpkin can be difficult to carve and is best left natural as part of your seasonal decor. 

Another red heirloom variety is the Lakota which comes from the American Midwest. These pear-shaped pumpkins are red with green and/or black markings following the ridges up from the base.

The Red Warty is a crossbreed with a red Hubbard squash and is more squash than pumpkin. As its name implies it has lumpy red skin.  This is a very decorative pumpkin that can add color and rich texture to a display.  The sweet flesh makes good eating but the bumpy exterior makes tough carving.

For something a bit more unusual whether in shape or color a red pumpkin would be a delightful choice.

Pictures from www.hauntedbay.com

White Pumpkins: Eerie and Elegant

Coming on the scene only a dozen years ago the unusual, naturally white pumpkins once an oddity found only at farmers' markets are now making their way into more and more homes and are becoming an autumn favorite. 

The most common white pumpkin is the Lumina.  While slightly smaller than the average carving pumpkin a Lumina usually weigh about 10 to 15 pounds.  The globe or flattened globe shape covered in gleaming white, smooth skin hides bright, orange flesh that is sweet, dense and incredibly good for cooking.

Casper pumpkins with their nice round shape and true white color look like the ghost of a traditional pumpkin and are said to have been named for the friendly ghost of cartoon fame.

The Valenciano pumpkin is often called the White Ghost pumpkin and is a flattened, medim size pumpkin.  It is only occassionally used for cooking but being such an especially lovely shade of ivory white you are probably going to want to put it in your autumn display rather than a pumpkin pie anyway.  The itty bitty Baby Boo pumpkins not only look adorable but make tasty pies.

Perfect for painting but not eating the Cotton Candy white pumpkin grows to between 5 and 12 pounds and produces a fine surface for your artistic talents.  Storing these pumpkins in the dark helps to maintain the best white color.  The Cotton Candy variety however is not edible so buy or grow these for decorative purposes only.

A bit more expensive than their traditional orange counterparts white pumpkins appeal to those at both ends of the decorating spectrum.  Many seek out the white pumpkins because they seem more ghoulish or eerie-looking than the bright and cheery orange ones.  Their white skin stark as a fresh canvas also provides a great surface for drawing or painting spooky faces or scary scenes. 

On the other end of the spectrum these pale varieties are sought after for their elegant beauty.  Nestled among flowers or sitting atop sterling silver, these glorious globes add an unexpected element of surprise to a centerpiece and their chic appearance allows then to be the stars of the show in places that their warmer colored cousins were rarely invited.

While their appearance is light the novelty of a white pumpking is far from fading and adding a white pumpkin can turn your seasonal display into a real head-turner.

From the top:
Baby Boo from henryfields.com, Valenciano from www.naturalgardening.com, Cotton Candy from www.localharvest.org, Centerpiece from bhg.com

Carrot Purple

Purple was one of the hottest colors on the runway, then it made a splash in home interiors and now purple has even taken honors as a trendy color for carrots.

The "Purple Haze" carrot is one of the 2006 winners recognized by All-American Selections as "a flower or vegetable for significant achievements, proven to be superior to all others on the market."  With a deep purple exterior and bright orange interior it is sure to be a hit with gourmet chefs.

Where might purple turn up next?

See all of this year's winners

New Life for a Pink Commode

When Jami Russell remodeled her bathroom rather than sending her outdated commode to the dump she put it in her garden.  She said it appealed to her weird sense of humor.

The pink commode made me smile but I laughed out loud when I saw what flowers she had chosen to put in it.  The toilet-turned-planter is overflowing with sweet peas.

Okay, so maybe Jami's not the only one with a weird sense of humor.

Technorati Tags: pink, color, colour, sweat peas, gardening

Chocolate Brown Flowers

The popularity of chocolate brown continues for fashion and home but who would have anticipated the growing popularity of brown as a color for flowers?

One saavy couple from Washington state bet that brown plants and flowers would catch on.  Marie and Bill of the Chocolate Flower Farm combined Bill's love of chocolate with Marie's love of gardening to develop a unique niche in the world of gardening with their unusual chocolate brown flowers.

Other flower fanciers have also found brown intriguing.  An article in The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that "Plenty of chocolate cravings were aroused at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, London's influential showcase of landscape design and plant trends. One of the most popular gardens was the bronze medal-winning Roald Dahl Foundation Chocolate Garden, inspired by Dahl's classic book (and upcoming movie), "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Like the black plant craze ignited by Karen Platt of England a few years back, rich brown plants are capturing the fancy of flower connoisseurs everywhere and growers are beginning to make dark chocolate flowers and plants available to florist.

Dark flowers add drama to a garden or floral arrangement.  Combine that with the appeal of chocolate and who can resist these unusual blooms?

Technorati Tags: brown flowers, brown plants, chocolate, Chocolate Flower Farm, color, colour

Petunias Pretty In Pink

When I was growing up my mother planted petunias every summer and I always seemed to be given the chore of removing the deadheads.  I'm not sure why but I remember hating the job and for this reason I haven't ever chosen to use petunias in my own garden. However that all changed yesterday.

Although I entered the nursery with a plan in mind I was no more than a few steps inside when I saw hundreds of shell pink blossoms beckoning. Soft as the delicate pink of a newborn's cheek they called out to me and with the innocent charm of a baby won me over.

My color scheme changed to "Pretty in Pink" and I rearranged pots until I was pleased with the blend of shell pink, medium pink, bright fuschia and green foilage.  The results were even more stunning planted against the crisp white rails that surround our deck.

As I stood there enjoying how wonderul the colors worked with each other I realized that perhaps my sudden interest in pink was not just a momentary inspiration but had been influenced by the images I poured over as I reaquainted myself with the interior designs of the  remarkable Dorothy Draper.

Interiors can be wonderful inspiration for garden planning.  If you have an interior color scheme you love but might not be ready to use in your home your garden is a wonderful place to try it out.  So get bold!  You can't go wrong with flowers.

Pictures from rave-wave.com

Technorati Tags: petunias, garden, gardening, pink, color
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