A Merry Red Christmas!

I'm sure Bing and Elvis would change from white and blue Christmases to red with this as their inspiration.

I think carnations are simply amazing! They last forever (if they are fresh and you remember to change the water, they can last a good two weeks), have a wonderful clove scent (which you can intensify by adding a few drops of clove oil in the conditioning water), and give a great pop of color. What else can you ask for in a fresh flower?

This is the counterpoint to the more whimsical white carnation arrangement in the candy cane vase from last week. This is a bit more dramatic with its mix of the deep burgundy and bright scarlet red flowers and the use of the black glass cylinder, but it still says Merry Christmas!

Again, I use boxwood cuttings as the matrix (this time, all green, not variegated as with the white arrangement) and also incorporate the mini variety (in the deeper red, all the wholesaler had!) but also added a shiny galax leaf cuff around the base of the arrangement to finish it off. Also added as a flourish is the stalk of a carnation spike, almost as a feather in the band of a hat. Sometimes you run across these when cleaning the flowers, and I definitely save them for this purpose.

These would look great in a team down a long dining table or by itself on a smaller table with candles as a centerpiece, or on a coffee table or end table. They mix well with traditional Christmas greenery and plants like red poinsettias and white hydrangea, and you can readily find them. The thing you have to remember is it always takes more flowers than you think! This arrangement has about 50 stems. By the way, if you're in Phoenix, you can stop by Stupid Cupid, voted Phoenix's best gift shop, and see this in person. This arrangement was made for the store. Cheers!