Find the perfect bouquet to express your love and appreciation.

Roses

Arguably the most culturally significant bloom, it’s no surprise that roses are the highest selling cut flower in Australia. Although it’s common knowledge that roses symbolise love, colours have traditionally played an important role in how it’s expressed.

Best-selling on Valentine’s Day, the red rose was first associated with romance in Greek mythology and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. This tradition continued with floriography, a coded language that allowed the Victorians to express themselves through flower types and colours.

Other associations include yellow for friendship, white for purity and pink for gratitude, but it seems modern day event styling is not necessarily following the themes of the past. “Wedding trends are definitely transforming,” suggests Julie Tran, owner of Sydney studio, The Curious Florist. “I personally ask my couples to choose a ‘vibe’ and suggest colours from there. Lately, pale blush, white and dusty pink roses are a huge trend that we probably won’t see go any time soon.”

Lilies

Also linked to Greek mythology, lilies are said to have originated with Hera, the goddess of marriage and birth. Thanks to this, along with the Madonna, lilies have been associated with the Virgin Mary, fertility and purity.

Despite this, lilies are used in a range of settings, with colour symbolism closely following that of the rose. “My favourites are definitely the rose lily in pinks, and the calla lily in white. If we’re going for a minimalistic and modern wedding or bouquet, white calla lilies look absolutely beautiful,” says Julie.

They’re also a great choice for online flower orders, with retailers often sending lilies in bud form to ensure freshness and longevity. “We aim to design bouquets and arrangements that will arrive with the maximum possible vase life so they can be enjoyed for as long as possible,” explains Costco Australia’s garden buyer, Mitchell Innes.

Chrysanthemums

“Chrysanthemums are typically used on Mother’s Day as we’re lucky enough in Australia to have so many amazing local growers,” Julie says.

Although they are the official Mother’s Day flower in Australia, chrysanthemum symbolism differs across cultures. In Japan, for example, they represent nobility and longevity, but in Europe they are given to express sympathy.

“Most of my customers are either millennials or gen Z, so you see the majority of them purchasing flowers purely focused on aesthetics,” Julie says. “Interestingly though, I also have a lot of my customers specifying flower types if they’re purchasing for their parents.”

Gerberas

Belonging to the daisy family, gerberas come in an array of colours and typically symbolise beauty, innocence and cheerfulness. Light pink represents respect, while dark pink is for gratitude. Otherwise typical colour symbolism applies – white for purity, orange for warmth and yellow for happiness.

“I tend to go for the spider gerbera or the teddy bear gerbera. Both have a very unique petal pattern,” Julie says. “They look fantastic in gardenstyle wedding bouquets or used in a monochrome palette, while their long stems add depth and dimension.”

Upcoming trends

For Julie, autumnal trends will reflect the season. “You’ll see the burnt oranges and rust shine through, not only in autumn foliage, but also with dried florals, ferns and dried palms. We’ll see dark and moody foliage contrasting with reflexed roses and orchids, staying in the rust, burnt orange and dusty pink palettes.”