Flower Friday - Queen Anne's Lace
Hello again! Time for another round of Flower Friday.
Queen Anne's lace has become a regular flower we use in creating designs. Since we love making arrangements that have an airy texture and flow, this flower is always a great go-to. In researching this flower, I learned some surprising things about it - for instance, it's a member of the carrot family...Say what??
I'm sorry, but I have to take a moment here - anytime I think about carrots, my mind goes to this scene from Daddy Day Care. And it's great for remembering how to spell broccoli...have to sing it every time...just ask Montana. She does it too.
So, on with it then - :)
- It's named for, hmmm, who do you think...? None other than Queen Anne herself of course, of England. The legend goes that she pricked her finger while making some lace, leaving a drop of blood on it, hence the name and describing the dark flower in the center. (Girl, come on, where's your thimble??!)
- Like previously mentioned, it's a member of the carrot family. While researching, I found a lot of sites saying the roots are edible, while young, but I have no experience there. I think I'll just stick to good ol' regular carrots! It's similar in looks to poison hemlock, which is - poisonous! But really, to tell them apart - Queen Anne's lace usually has a hairy green stem, while poison hemlock is smooth and has dark spots. This article I found explains the differences really well. It also shouldn't be confused with fool's parsley, which eating would also be no bueno.
- Other names are wild carrot, bishop's lace, and bird's nest. It does resemble a bird's nest, doesn't it? It's easy to grow and likes full sun to some shade. You'll often see it growing on the roadside as well.
Below are some ways we've used it in arrangements.
Here's a behind the scenes, whole bunch look of it!
Works great in smaller arrangements...
Or in larger ones. It was a great flower to use in my cousin's bohemian outdoor wedding, which the two photos above are from. It helped give that light, natural feel we were going for. It's also great for filling in gaps because of the width of the flower head.
It can reach heights of 1 to 4 feet so it's great for adding volume to a bigger design such as this one.
If you made it all the way down here, many thanks! And if you would like to incorporate some carrots - I mean some Queen Anne's lace - in your event designs, just give us a shout. We'd love to help with your big day!
