The impact of floral color is often diminished by the middle distance. When you look at one of your images and don’t like it but are not sure just why, the answer is often because it has a Boring-Middle-Distance (BMD) view point. No matter that all of your camera settings are spot-on and the depth of field sharpness is just where you would like it to be. All falls victim to the BMD.
The best and easiest way to vanquish the dreaded BMD is just to fill the frame with color. This does not necessarily require a macro lens. I was recently shooting waterlilies for the Waterlily Workshop last Saturday. On inspecting the picture info, I noticed that each keeper picture had been taken with a focal length of at least 140mm, and some were closer to 200mm (full-frame).
Extended focal length adds interest.
Of course, a tripod is your friend and I don’t usually take pictures without one. If you don’t currently own one, consider the possibilities. Yes, using one will keep you in the photo slow-lane, but who cares? Ansel Adams had a burst rate of 1 exposing sheet film with his view camera. Look where it got him.