Baroque bouquets: how to create a lavish arrangement

Lush baroque bouquets look as if they have stepped out of Dutch Old Master paintings: velvety roses, flamed tulips, trailing vines, grapes and even butterflies. The style is back in fashion for weddings, festive dinners and interiors. Here is where it came from, what defines it and how to build a baroque arrangement yourself.

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Where the style comes from

Baroque was the dominant style of European art in the 17th and early 18th centuries. The word is linked to the Portuguese “barroco”, an irregular pearl: baroque loved curves, contrast, movement and luxury. In floristry its great “textbook” is the Dutch Golden Age flower still life. Jan Brueghel the Elder, Ambrosius Bosschaert, Rachel Ruysch and Jan van Huysum painted bouquets that could never exist in reality, combining flowers from different seasons in one vase, with insects crawling and fruit nearby.

Many of these paintings carried a “vanitas” message about the brevity of life — a wilting petal, a fallen bud, a butterfly. Flamed tulips stood for wealth: during the “tulip mania” of the 1630s, bulbs of rare varieties in the Netherlands changed hands for the price of a house.

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Key features of a baroque bouquet

• Abundance. Many different flowers, textures and shades in one arrangement.
• Movement. Asymmetry, curving lines, an S-shaped silhouette; stems and vines spill over the rim.
• A deep palette. Burgundy, plum, peach, cream and touches of gold; a dark backdrop adds drama.
• Still-life details. Grapes, pomegranates, figs, feathers and decorative butterflies.
• A pedestal vase. An urn, goblet or compote in stone, ceramic or aged metal.

How to build a baroque arrangement

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1. Prepare the base. Place crumpled floral netting or soaked floral foam in the urn to hold stems at an angle.
2. Set the silhouette. Use long branches and foliage (eucalyptus, pittosporum, fruit-tree branches) to sketch an asymmetric S-curve.
3. Add focal flowers. Place large garden roses, peonies or hydrangeas in groups at different heights rather than in a neat row.
4. Fill the second layer. Ranunculus, anemones, hellebores, irises and parrot tulips — tulip stems keep growing and bending, which adds life.
5. Let vines spill over. Amaranthus, jasmine, ivy or grapevine should trail down and partly hide the vase.
6. Finish with details. A bunch of grapes, a pomegranate or a few feathers at the base and you’re done.

Follow the Dutch masters’ rule: large flowers in the centre and slightly higher, small and airy ones at the edges, alternating dark and light tones to create depth.

Baroque at a wedding

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The baroque style suits evening weddings in castles and restaurants with high ceilings and dark interiors. Popular choices include tall table arrangements in candelabras, arches cascading with flowers and vines, and a cascading or asymmetric bridal bouquet with velvet ribbons. For a winter wedding add berries, conifer greenery and gold accents.

For inspiration see our selection of the 40 most beautiful bouquets, and for the history of floral symbols, flowers in heraldry.

FAQ

How does baroque differ from rococo in floristry?

Baroque means rich dark tones, drama and power; rococo means light pastels, delicacy and airy asymmetry.

Which flowers are typical of a baroque bouquet?

Garden and peony-style roses, peonies, flamed tulips, ranunculus, anemones, irises and trailing amaranthus.

Can a baroque bouquet be hand-tied rather than in a vase?

Yes — an asymmetric cascading bouquet with vines and dark tones conveys the style well.

UFL florists can create a luxurious bouquet to your brief — order it with delivery in Kyiv.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.