Cover Floral designer Dianthus Kiss of Maison Dianthus. (Photo: Daniel Adams)
Floral designer Dianthus Kiss of Maison Dianthus. (Photo: Daniel Adams)
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Floral designer Dianthus Kiss of Maison Dianthus gives her top recommendations for thoughtful Valentine’s Day flowers that don’t go down the dozen-red-roses route
This Valentine’s Day, you don’t have to go big, you just have to go thoughtful. While a dozen red roses may appear on every Instagram ad following you around the internet, they’re an unimaginative (and often, due to Valentines-flation, expensive) choice to make on the one day a year you want to impress. Need some pointers on what flowers to look for instead? We asked floral designer Dianthus Kiss of Maison Dianthus to recommend her favourite blooms, trends and arrangement styles.
Also read: Valentine’s Day 2025: Independent florists for beautiful blooms in Kuala Lumpur
Above Non-red-rose ideas: Clusters of freesia blooms
Above Tulips are always a good idea
Non-red-rose ideas: Clusters of freesia blooms
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“I know that everyone is enamoured with the red rose come Valentine’s Day but perhaps as we are evolving with the times, being a little more bold and unconventional could be the ticket to impressing a loved one, a crush, a hot date!” Kiss says. For something a little more unexpected, she recommends ranunculus, sweet peas, freesias, tulips and Calla lilies.
Above Ranunculus are a beautiful statement for Valentine’s Day
Ranunculus are a beautiful statement for Valentine’s Day
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Not confident in picking out individual flowers? Commit to a colour theme and go bold with a monochrome arrangement. “Stunning single variety blooms in monochrome, placed in an interesting vessel,” suggests Kiss. “I love the simplicity of it, it’s not fatiguing to the eyes, soothing and calming to a space. It’s what I personally love to see in my own home. A great plus and tip: single types in a vase without too many varieties also give you a much longer vase life.”
Above The colours and delicacy of sweet pea blooms make them a lovely choice for Valentine’s Day
The colours and delicacy of sweet pea blooms make them a lovely choice for Valentine’s Day
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You can even forgo the florists completely and build your own bouquet—bonus points for honouring our local foliage. “Compositions rooted in foraging are immensely popular now too,” Kiss says. “I remember the days that I would ask permission whilst loitering in the suburbs, if I could cut an interesting stem of anything, or bribe a friend’s mum who had a great garden or pick up fallen dried fruit or leaves under trees. Now growers see beauty in the unexpected, so seeing interesting grass, berries, or curly roots will make for a dynamic arrangement with a little surprise.”
Credits
Photography: Unsplash
Emma Chong is the Managing Editor of Tatler Malaysia, overseeing the editorial direction and vision for the print, digital and social media arms of the title. She has over 15 years experience in fashion and lifestyle publishing, and has led print and digital editorial teams at ELLE Malaysia, Time Out Kuala Lumpur, The Luxe Nomad and more.
Outside of work, Emma spends her time wrangling children (only her own) and boosting the Malaysian economy through her support of local fashion and homeware brands.
