How to Transform Your Carnations
Many people have an aversion to carnations, often seeing them as cheap grocery store flowers. We're here to tell you they're anything but that! While they do come at a great price point, there are so many reasons why we love them. Carnations come in a variety of colors and shades, have an incredible vase life, and are so reliable. These qualities make them a great addition to a wedding flower palette. Before you rule out carnations, let us show you a little trick that transforms them from what you might know into a flower reminiscent of a lisianthus!
These are some of our favorite varieties. Pink Lege (the darker pink) and Peach Lege Marrone (the lighter peach)
Because they're super durable and resilient, this trick will not affect their vase life.
Step-by-Step Guide to Transforming Carnations
Choose a Fully Opened Carnation: To help it open fully, gently squeeze the calyx (the green part right below the petals) while brushing the petals open with your finger.
Pluck the Middle Petals First: Start by removing a few petals from the center.
Rotate and Pluck: Rotate the stem in your hand while plucking 2-3 petals at a time. This ensures you don't end up with a lopsided flower!
Pause and Assess: Every few rotations, pause to see if you like the look or if you want to continue plucking.
Additional Tips
TIP: If you have multiple carnations in your arrangement, keep some in their original state and pluck the others differently so they appear to be at different stages of bloom.
It really is that simple! To see the full video tutorial, check our Instagram post. If you're loving these flower tips, be sure to sign up for our email list! We send a newsletter a couple of times a month full of flower tips, varieties, recipes, and more!