Many related plants also share the name “Daisy”, so to distinguish this species from other daisies it is sometimes qualified as Common Daisy, Lawn Daisy or occasionally English daisy. It is native to western, central and northern Europe. The species is widely naturalized in North America,[ and also in South America.
The flower represents purity and innocence, devoid of any sin or guilt, daisy is the perfect symbol of innocence. Daisy is often used while confessing undying love. A daisy hints at a wrapped up secret and even points at keeping it hidden. Thus, daisy symbolizes truth too. It stands for the concealed truth, away from everyone else’s notice. When a daisy was given in public, it meant a transfer of secret from the giver to the receiver.
Sunflowers are symbolic of adoration. Sunflowers turn their heads to the sun, which is the origin of their common name. Sunflowers belong to the genus helianthus, a reference to Helios, the sun god. In the United States, sunflowers are found in the midwest prairies as well as roadsides. The sunflower generally grows in scrub land and dry areas. Sunflowers are native to the Americas and are the state flower of Kansas and the national flower of Russia. Sunflowers bloom from July through September. Sunflowers are traditionally bright yellow with a central disk or reddish brown
Tiger Lily is a species of true lily native to the eastern and central regions of North America.
Other names the Tiger lily goes by are, Turk’s Cap Lily, Turban Lily, Swamp lily or American Tiger Lily.
Tiger Lily grows from feet 3-7 high, typically 3-7 blooms, but exceptional specimens have been observed with up to 40 flowers on each stem. It is capable of growing in wet conditions. It is fairly variable in size, form, and color. The color is known to range from a deep yellow to orange to a reddish-orange “flame” coloring, with reddish petal tips. The flowers have a green star at their center than can be used to distinguish Lilium superbum from the Asiatic “Tigerlilies” that frequently escape from cultivation.The species ranges from New Hampshire south to Florida, and west to Missouri and Arkansas.
Creating a flower arrangement based on only one shade can be tricky but, if done correctly, can also be capable of leading to a beautiful and memorable design. White is a great choice for late autumn arrangements and is suitable for ushering in the winter and the beginning of the holiday season.
There are many options when creating a white floral design and plenty of choices to pick from when making a stunning, memorable arrangement. Fantastic scents and striking visuals can be found in white blooms like lily of the valley, gardenia, jasmine, stephanotis, sweet pea, freesia and tuberose. Although these are great choices for winter holiday arrangements (and can be found throughout the entire year), they are better known for their use in weddings.
The best winter flowers benefit from more pronounced shapes and textures that can differentiate them from the more subdued look of the ones mentioned above. Try using anthuriums, roses, anemones, carnations, amaryllis, disbud mums, Oriental lillies, parrot tulips or hydrangea to make for a more rustic design that is better suited to the various events and celebrations of the early winter.
Coupling these white flowers with a darker vase or basket and gold, silver or bronze accent pieces highlights the beautiful simplicity of a pure white arrangement. It’s difficult to make an all-white design turn out poorly so pick your favourite blooms and scents to begin with and finish off by creating contrast with a darker container.
White arrangements can represent purity or hope and offer a refreshing embrace of winter as fall ends and the holiday season approaches. Many florists prefer to make their holiday arrangements with reds and greens with white only added to add contrast but it’s also a fantastic idea to work from white alone. Use these tips this holiday season to enjoy a wonderful floral arrangement that is unique, stunning and truly evocative of this special time of the year.
We’re always interested in learning about flower celebrations from across the world and continue to seek out the best events for you to read about. In this post we’ll look at the Philadelphia International Flower Show, an event that is generally regarded as one of the most successful annual horticultural celebrations in the United States.
The Philadelphia International Flower Show
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a growing reputation for its annual flower festival — a celebration that continues to gain acclaim. This year the city plans to outdo itself with an inspired Parisian theme and a better-than-ever series of spectacles.
Organizers have already begun to detail preliminary aspects of the upcoming event. The Philadelphia International Flower Show has confirmed that it has been hard at work in constructing a replica of the Eiffel Tower base to fit with its Paris-inspired aesthetic. Visitors will enter the show by passing under the base, setting the tone for what is sure to be an awe-inspiring celebration. The Eiffel Tower base replica is 75 feet wide and 33 feet tall and, just beyond it, the French visuals continue with a plethora of Parisian floral exhibits, live performers and more. Design director, Sam Lemheney, has said that visitors can expect to see a wide range of flowers that range from simple and clean looks to more artistic and abstract works.
The Philadelphia International Flower Show has a distinguished pedigree that stems back to the early 19th century. Since 1829, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (one of the nation’s oldest groups of its type) has been sponsoring Philadelphia’s massive garden and floral shows. Current Society president, Drew Becher, has told press that he expects this year’s event to be bigger, better and more exciting than ever before.
The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show is scheduled to run from March 6th to 13th at the Philadelphia Convention Center. In all, some 250,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event and roughly $35 million gained in city revenue — an approximation based on the success of previous years.
We want to help make it easier for anyone to express their sympathy at funerals by looking at various cultural traditions and how flowers play a part in them. Japan has a unique culture with a large emphasis on traditional practices. Sending flowers to a Japanese funeral can be confusing for those of us not well versed in the appropriate ettiquete but reading these tips can make giving a gift simpler.
Should You Send Flowers to a Japanese Funeral?
Japanese funerals often involve flowers but, unlike many other cultural ceremonies, they are not always the central aspect of the ceremony. The type of flowers that are appropriate for Japanese funeral events range greatly and can include nearly any type of bloom a mourner chooses to purchase. Flowers are often placed on top of the funeral site’s altar, put in the casket before sealing and are usually left upon the gravesite by friends and family.
It is common for the funeral party to donate money to a hanawa (funeral wreath) in place of individual flower arrangements. Another option to consider alongside your gift of sympathy flowers is koden, a condolence gift that consists of money for the bereaved.
What is Koden?
Koden is a Japanese term that refers to the traditional sympathy gift of money. It has been a cultural practice related to sympathy and funerals for centuries of Japanese history. Sending koden is often done by placing money in a small envelope sealed with white and black ribbon.
Combining koden with a tasteful flower arrangement is probably the best idea for those attending a Japanese funeral (or sending their condolences to a Japanese family). It is important to note, however, that only close friends and family should send flowers, koden or contribute to hanawa. Many Japanese traditionalists prefer to keep funerals within families so be sure to use personal discretion in all cases and keep the above tips in mind when creating your sympathy gift.
Nevada isn’t typically thought of as a great place to find flowers. Despite its arid deserts and unforgiving temperatures however, there are a lot of great and unique blooms that can only be found in this American state.
The Nevada Garden Club seeks to promote those flowers throughout the year but its efforts culminate in the annual Nevada Garden Club Annual Flower Festival, our choice for this installment of our ongoing look at international flower festivals.
The Nevada Garden Club Annual Flower Festival
The Nevada Garden Club works hard to change the popular perception of the state as a barren desert by promoting the myriad species of beautiful flowers native to the region. Every year the Garden Club’s members come together to show the rest of the nation the wonders of their home through a celebration of Nevada-grown floral arrangements, bouquets, innovative designs and other desert bloom-themed visuals.
This year’s edition of the Nevada Garden Club Annual Flower Festival took place at the end of October, featuring the theme of “at the movies”. Beautiful flower arrangements were created in honour of the cinematic theme and visitors took in sights that included floral set-ups evoking cartoons, musicals, Western films and much more.
The Nevada Garden Club made 2010 a truly special year by coming together with homegrown displays of desert roses, succulents, bonsai, various fruits and vegetables and, of course, plenty of one-of-a-kind arrangements using Nevada cacti at their hearts. As in prior installments of the Festival, members of the Garden Club sought to outdo one another with truly fantastic arrangements that captured the spirit and unique aesthetic of Nevada flowers.
Some of the more notable flowers native to Nevada (and appearing at the Nevada Garden Club Annual Flower Festival) include humingbird trumpet, Las Vegas buckwhat, white bursage, winterfat and turpentine bush. All of these blooms are evocative of the vivid colours that Nevada residents treasure amidst the subdued colour pallette of the desert landscape.
A visit to the Los Angeles Flower District located in downtown Los Angeles is a must for all flower lovers. Fresh cut flowers, fillers, greenery and supplies are sold to florists, floral designers, event planners, decorators and to the public. There are also live potted and exotic orchid plants.
The flower district is composed of the following markets: San Julian Flower Market, Los Angeles Flower Mall, California Flower Market, Southern California Flower Market, Los Angeles Flower Market, Market City Flowers. The flower district area is composed of Maple Street, Wall Street between 7th and 9th Streets. There are also independent florists located on San Pedro Street and large craft stores are within the district. Parking is very convenient with a parking structure on Maple Street, open air parking lots and street parking is available too. The hours of operation varies to the wholesalers versus the general public at the Los Angeles Flower District. Most markets open early and close early.
A walk along the surrounding streets, you will find smaller florists with a variety of arrangements on displays for weddings, funerals and just because for the special day or one in your life. Each of the florist’s carries a variety of flowers and fillers and some are more unique than others. There are a few larger stores that carry live and exotic plants and containers.
In the flower markets, there are many vendors that compete for your business. Most of the vendors just sell flowers whereas there are ones that just sell glass and ceramic containers. The best way to purchase flowers is to compare the quality and the price of flowers with a couple of vendors. There are some higher and lower prices for the same flowers. I averaged the price of the flowers and made offers. I feel the best price is the price you are willing pay for the flowers and do not forget to go early for the best selection.
Chinese New Year is celebrated on the 1st day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar and varies from January 21st to February 19th until the 15th of the moon. Preparation for Chinese New Year begins weeks in advance when the house is thoroughly cleaned, plates of oranges, tangerines with leaves intact and Pomelo’s (grapefruits) are placed in the house including the container for rice and a Lien Hop. If you haven’t heard of a Lien Hop, it is a round container with many sections. It is filled with dry goods such as preserved ginger, candies sweets to serve to guests and relatives. The family celebrates with an elaborate nine course meal on Chinese New Year’s Eve such as a fresh cooked chicken with all parts including the head and feet, noodles, Fat Choi Soup for wealth, prosperity and long life. The flowers used in Chinese New Year celebrations are water Narcissus and plum blossoms.
On Chinese New Year, children receive good luck money in a Lai See envelope and wear new clothes and are told not eat anything that is sour or your clothes will wear out sooner.
There are twelve animal signs for the Chinese Zodiac. The animal signs for one another in an established order, and are repeated every twelve years. These are the signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
2010 is the year of the Tiger.
The origin of Valentine’s Day varies with some experts stating St. Valentine, a Roman who was put to death due to his beliefs. St. Valentine died on February 14th. There are many other varying opinions as to origin of Valentine’s Day.
February 14th eventually became the day for giving receiving love messages, flowers, candies and expressing your love to your special one in your life. Children in school exchange Valentine’s Day cards with candies. A higher percentage of women purchase gifts for Valentine’s Day whereas men purchase red roses for their love ones.
Speaking of Valentine’s Day, the most special Valentine’s gift I ever received was a creative one based on the five senses. My husband and I were dating at the time when he presented me with a gift for each of the fives senses; touch was a stuffed animal, sight was a picture, smell was a dozen red roses, hearing was a recording of love songs and taste was a large heart-shaped candy on a stick. That is one Valentine’s Day that I will never forget.
So what do Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day have in common? Sunday, February 14, 2010.
Gung Hay Fat Choy and Happy Valentine’s Day,
As someone who owns a website about floral arrangements, I figured that this post about the famous cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. might be of interest to you.
The Cherry Blossom in DC is home to The National Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival is a two-week, annual event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the long lasting friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year, the event began on March 27th and went through April 11th, with a parade on Saturday, April 10th beginning at 10am.
Cherry Blossom, Washington DC
Prior to this intangible peace treaty, 19th century imperialism drew clear lines of separation between these two great nations. Through it’s strict policy of isolation, Japan remained untouched by western ways until the Treaty of Amity (1854). Although, feelings of mistrust and resentment continued to ride due to early U.S. Naval Leaders gunboat diplomacy upon Japan. In order to lessen tensions and restore peace, mutual Cherry and Flowering Dogwood tree offerings were given.
Other DC Attractions include multiple festivals, museums, monuments, and more. The National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., is a non-profit organization that coordinates, produces, and supports creative and diverse activities promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and the environment, and community spirit and youth education. It also marks the beginning of peak season for an influx of tourists to Washington, also brought in by the thousands of historical landmarks, museums, and other buildings. Some of the most popular DC Tours include Hop-On-Off Double-Decker Bus, Discover DC Segway Safari, Mount Vernon Arlington Cemetery, and Washington DC After Dark.
