This week I was inspired to get these deep, almost black dahlias after discovering a farm dedicated to such dark-hued plants (I'll be posting about them later today). Having such a dark flower is much like beginning an oil painting on a deep ochre ground...
I like the large negative space formed by such dark flowers. What would you have put in with them?
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Many colors pop out and are intensified when set against such a deep background. The dahlias were so dark that even in good light there was barely a hint of their petal structures, as most of it was swallowed up in the dark velvety shadow they created.
Although my first instinct was to put some rust-colored callas or something similar in with these, I ended up getting some tight, green Lisianthus blossoms (which open to white - would have loved to put in some lime green Cymbidiums, but that would break the weekly flower budget...), and also mixed in a few leaves from a bleeding heart plant out in the garden (you heard me right - I have a garden. A puny one. And I just may share a few pictures later on this weekend.).
The white was nice, but it was the green that practically glowed against the blackish-red dahlias. Of course these are way out of season...leave it to New York City to have such temptations roll through the flower shops. Every. Single. Week.
matt at apartment therapy dot com
gorgeous!
view kQuade's profile
I agree. I have always loved dark flowers.
So Vermeer!
Matt - I just emailed you a photo of peonies I shot recently.
I found it fun it coincided with a recent AT post about them.
www.thebitterfoodie.blogspot.com
view thebitterfoodie's profile
so beautiful. i searched 'black dahlias' and found some with yellow centers. i was thinking of dark velvet in winter, with classical gold passementerie and a samovar of hot tea. how about rudbeckia, or yellow pansies with dark purple centers. but mustard tones have the richness needed, and as pointed out above, be more 'vermeer.' great question, great photo. wow.
view avianmission's profile
In a word of appreciation, I just wanted to say that I always look forward to the "Saturday morning flowers" post. The flowers are always beautiful and so wonderfully photographed...so thank you for a lovely start to my Saturday mornings!
view Shasta's profile
These would be gorgeous with those dark leathery calla lilies.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
Those are breathtaking! So much drama, but in a good way. Love them.
view rebecca326's profile
Wow, even the stems are beautiful - great call to put this arrangement in a clear vase!
view J's profile
I don't know the names of too many flowers. And my instincts on color don't work too well with flowers. You have to be practically IN that flower to see it's velvet and color. Most anything else with it steals the show. Because they get to use that "negative space" to their advantage.
Like a lighthouse in a dark night. You only see the bright light, and the darkness looks even darker.
So I wonder about degrees of darkness? Where you would have other dark flowers, but not quite as dark. With more greenery framing the darkness.
Yes, the greenery would stand out more, but the shades of darkness would lure people closer to see what those dark shapes ARE.
I have no idea if these are good for cut flowers or what their sizes are, I just looked up some images.
This velvety dark Clematis:
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/clematis_3.asp
This "black" poppy (scroll way down to ~Poppy 'Perennial - Paeony Black'~):
http://www.sunriseseeds.com/PERENNIALS.0.html
view TRUE BLUE's profile
go chartreuse. i love euphorbia and bupleurum.
view mrs yow's profile
Callas, euphorbias and bupleurum - all great ideas! Maybe I'll have to expand my budget the next time~
view mattplantguy's profile