Five Flower Trends in Bloom Right Now

By Milena Damjanov
October 24, 2011

Belle Fleur

Belle Fleur co-owner Meredith Waga-Perez, center, with bouquets from her renowned flower boutique

For the past 16 years, Belle Fleur, known for its lush, heartstoppingly pretty bouquets, has been the go-to flower boutique for New York’s fashion and media set. But if you ask Meredith Waga Perez, the co-owner (with her mother, Marilyn Waga) and face of the brand, who she lists among her clients, she’ll also include “the quintessential romantic bride, the floral enthusiast, and the everyday Joe or Jane who simply wants to put a smile on someone’s face.” With a recently launched fragrance business that includes scented candles and room sprays, it seems like Waga Perez is just getting started. To see what this endlessly creative force has in store for the fall and winter, we asked Waga Perez to name a few floral trends she’s loving right now:

1. Sheer Shades of White, Blush and Pale Peach

Sheer Shades of White, Blush and Pale Peach

Lilac, Peonies, Sweetpea and Bleeding Heart Bouquet

“We’re featuring transparent and sheer shades of white, blush and pale peach—[the latter] so light it takes on a nude hue. The flowers—including varieties such as ruffled Sweetpea and fragrant garden roses—are so delicate, they almost seem vulnerable. Sweetpeas are notoriously very frail flowers, but this past year, we’re seeing a new hybrid variety of Sweetpea that’s being exported from Japan. It looks like ten butterflies perched on one thin stem—truly breathtaking! They are becoming my absolute favorite flower.”

2. Scent-Worthy Flowers

Scent-Worthy Flowers

Burgundy Cymbidium Orchids with a Collar of Fresh mint & Israeli Peppergrass Bouquet

“A few years ago we launched a collection of scented candles and we quickly came to realize how important a role fragrance plays in conveying an emotional message. A fragrance takes you to a place you’ve once traveled to, or reminds you of that special someone; it can certainly transform environments and alter moods. I’ve also come to realize that even in our fast-paced world, we do take precious moments to put our noses to the flowers. So we are now incorporating much more scent into each and every floral arrangement, using varieties like Paperwhites, Tuberose, Freesia and Mimosa. We recently designed an elegant [wedding] bouquet with a dense collar of fresh mint—what better way to soothe the bride on her big day?”

3. Authenticity

Authenticity

Mayan Tuberose and White Orchid Tea Candles

“We are scheduling a trip to Grasse in France this autumn to work with a fragrance house on four new scented candles. We’re excited to come back with a lot of inspiring ideas—it’s the process and exploration that drives our brand. We are realizing the importance of authenticity, not just with our brand, but with the raw materials that we use, whether it’s the soy-blended wax and finest essential oils derived from natural ingredients for our candles, or the shea butter and grapeseed oil used in our French-milled soaps.”

4. Color and Flamboyance in a Charming Way

Color and Flamboyance in a Charming Way

Coral Charm Peonies, Snowball Viburnum, Geranium and Peppergrass Bouquet

“Another trend that we’re focusing on for autumn is the notion that if a client requests color and flamboyance, we make sure it remains charming and fashionable. An example of this might include an arrangement with Coral Charm Peonies, Snowball Viburnum, Geraniums and Peppergrass.”

5. Keepsake Vases

Keepsake Vases

Red Anemones Bouquet

“We love monochromatic and mono-botanical bouquets, but when designing a cluster of flowers in only one variety, we always focus on what they’re placed in. And when the vase comes into play, we search for something that can become a keepsake for the recipient. I’m loving Juliska’s jet black vases for fall and pairing them with vibrant red-and-black Anemones for a look that’s brilliant and sharp. It’s simple in composition, yet has so much strength and character.”