For this arrangement, the color inspiration came from a beautiful box of French macarons, grouping lots of small bunches of pistachio, petal-pink, and peach carnations. And because carnations can be found almost all year round, this is a great arrangement for anytime of year.

Ubiquitous, inexpensive, and long lasting, carnations possess gorgeous petals -- and distracting sepals attached to the stems. Clustering the blooms, whether monochromatic or multihued, into a dense dome plays up the flowers' prettiest feature.

How to Make a Dome
Soak five blocks of floral foam in water. Line up three in a shallow bowl. Center another on top. Cut last block in half crosswise, placing half on each side of stack. Trim carnation stems to two to three inches and stick into top block. Continue, from top to bottom, trimming as needed to fill out the dome.

Flowers have always managed to say a lot, but they've rarely expressed sentiments so clearly and directly. This "floating" heart is made with pale shades of common, easily obtainable blossoms, such as carnations, mums, and hyacinths.

When high-quality carnations are tastefully arranged, they can be an eye-catching, sweet-smelling, and long-lasting addition to any room. In fact, carnations are one of Martha's very favorite flowers.

Delightful as a centerpiece or displayed on a wall or door, this easy-to-make Valentine's Day arrangement forms sweet-scented carnations into a lovely heart shape.