You can never go wrong with a dozen roses!

Along with candy and chocolate, roses are one of the most cherished symbols of Valentine’s Day.  Red roses are, of course, the ‘I Love You’ in any gift giving!  Send flowers anywhere in Canada whether it’s Victoria, Winnipeg, Fredericton,  St. John’s or up in Yellowknife, your flowers will be freshly picked same day.

They don’t have to be red!

Beautiful red roses are not the only flower you can send to say I love you.  Check out the beautiful colors each season brings!  Bright yellow sunflowers to brilliant Blue Irises flourishing in Canada, find a florist near you!

Get Creative!

Canada has a wide range of different flowers to choose from, all saying a different message.  Create your own unique arrangement to suit your style and budget!  There are dozens of arrangements for every occasion, birthdays, wedding, new baby, just because etc.  Be creative and make your flowers say what you want them to say!  Add a cute bow!

Put a little thought into it!

Don’t just grab the first flower you see, look around and smell the flowers!  If you are sending flowers online Canada offers a market so full of beautiful flowers, ask an expert for help.  Don’t just walk in and out within 5minutes.  Look, sniff, feel!

Get her what she likes!

If she really loves lilacs, forget the roses and send her a dozen of her favorite colored flower instead.  Buy and send flowers anywhere in Canada.

Where to find flowers?

Canada offers a WIDE range of online outlets with beautiful flower arrangements for all occasions!  Send flowers from Ottawa to Edmonton in a breeze, your loved ones will be delighted with the crisp and bold colors our Canadian summers bring!  Canada flower shops also offer you suggestion on the right flowers for the right occasions and also a few tips on the designing of flowers. When you speak the language of love through the flowers follow the most effective and enviable way. The personalized service and the expertise of the Canada florists make them the right choice. One may stop roaming around the flower shops, and wasting the precious time.

British Columbia Flower bouquets make a gorgeous addition to your home decor or a thoughtful gift for any occasion. Whether you want to make a good impression on a first date or add color and tradition to your wedding, flowers are the way to No matter your budget; you can send a bouquet of flowers to suit any taste. Use these handy tips to make the most of your purchase.

If you’re planning to purchase a large quantity of flower for a party, seek the advice and knowledge of a floral designer. This florist can counsel you on what types of arrangements will work with your decorating plans, and sometimes provide discounts on bulk flower purchases. British Columbia seasonal flowers are usually less expensive than flowers that are out of season. Any flowers that have to be grown under special conditions, are imported, or are considered rare will be pricey.

Choose flower that look fresh and are not overwhelmed with greenery so that the flowers aren’t droopy. Make sure that your flowers are wrapped to prevent damage, and ask for fresh flower food packets to add to the water if they are not provided.

British Columbia Flower bouquets can be ordered online. If you decide to purchase British Columbia flowers online, try to stick with established companies and look for customer feedback at other consumer sites.

Always consider the recipient when choosing British Columbia flower bouquets. Does he or she have a favorite color or scent? Every birth month has a specific flower associated with it, so these flowers would be a meaningful touch to add to a bouquet.

If you buy a British Columbia bouquet and won’t be giving them away for several hours, keep them fresh by storing the bouquet in the refrigerator with a wet cloth or paper towel wrapped around the stem ends.

To display fresh British Columbia flower bouquets, cut about an inch from the bottom of each stem on a slant.  Add some flower food to lukewarm water in the vase. Take off any leaves that will sit below the water line from the flowers, and arrange in the vase.

Centuries have passed but flowers remain to be essentials of a wedding. Historically, bridal bouquets were inspired by the garlands and wreaths worn by ancient brides and grooms. They meant to signify love and happiness. But these bridal bouquets and wreaths were actually made of bulbs of garlic and some herbs because people believed such things possess powers to ward off evil spirits.  The first record of wedding flowers actually dates back to the ancient Greeks where people used flowers and herbs to make bridal crowns and gifts. On the other hand, bridesmaids were the ones who were tasked to make floral decorations and posies for the guests to signify gratitude.

Any wedding today isn’t complete without flowers. They’re one of the first things that couples deal with and which is also given so much attention. Modern soon-to-be brides and grooms even adorn the ceremony according to a special theme, which partly represents a couples’ personality or sentiments. This has now been the current tradition as we all believe that flowers are truly special messengers of beauty, thoughts, and feelings, but what we don’t realize is that they do more than just convey messages of love and happiness for such glorious ceremony; rather, they actually bring love and happiness to dwell and grow in the place where two people in love will take vows and where guests will have to witness a miracle.

Looking for the right flowers to complement your taste and idea may be a bit challenging and more often it takes several florists before couples finally choose and order flowers. The best way to time to start on this endeavour is once the wedding theme is established—working first on the main color, complementary tones, and even the texture and mood that will play on the big day. This scheme will give you a clear idea on what flowers to incorporate and prevent you being sidetracked from your goal.
Here are some great flower choices for wedding themes that go with each season:

1. Summer Wedding
   There are actually an array of flower choices that fit this theme but sticking to its nature as vibrant and cheerful, you can play it up with gerbera daisies, alstromerias, asters, sunflowers, yellow and red callas, mums, dahlias, gerberas, and cosmos. While choosing an airy summer feel would lead you to white and light colored varieties of roses, freesias, stephanotis, phlox, callas, casa blanca lilies, Shasta daisies, and hydrangeas.
2. Spring Wedding
   The perfect flowers for this season are pastels in nature. They can be tulips, lilies of the valley, forsythias, gerberas, hyacinths, cherry blossoms, lilac, and sweat peas. Multi-colored flower arrangements are recommended to give a fresh and lush appeal. Combine these flowers with greeneries such as lemon leaf, maiden hair, rosemary, and bells of Ireland.
3. Fall Wedding
   Rich reds, fiery orange, and rustic yellows often represent the fall season. The season may limit you with choices but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any gorgeous flowers to adorn the occasion. You can always depend on roses, lilies, orchids, and daisies as they’re available all year round but irises, dahlias, daphnes, snowballs, statice, zinnias, marigold, and narcissi are great seasonal flowers too for an excellent autumn wedding.
4. Winter Wedding
   To make a winter wonderland of a wedding, you have to play the flowers right. With the help of a florist, you can order flowers such as white roses, tulips, and hypericum berries for inexpensive choices but if you aim for a more glamorous and magical occasion, there are always anemones, lilies, ranunculus, camellias, football mums, orchids, amaryllis, bells of Ireland,  stephanotis, and poinsettias to enhance your choices. Add some winter foliage like holly, pine tree, and ivy for a more dramatic winter appeal.

When choosing for bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and flower decors, remember to always consult a professional florist so that he or she may be able to help you with more ideas. It’s also important to always have a flower checklist which can assist you in your budget and planning.  Now, that you have the basics of planning and choosing wedding flowers for your wedding, it would be much easier for you to proceed on other tasks such as selecting menu, invitations, and souvenirs. As you can see, to make a wedding successful, you never have to rush but always do it one step at a time.

Flowers were already popular from the ancient times particularly in the affluent kingdoms of early civilizations. They were used as religious offerings, ingredients in medicines, perfumes, and dishes, decorations for the palace, and as clothing accessories. Take for example the Iris, Rose, and the Lotus flower which were favourites of the Egyptians to offer to their goddess Isis. The Tiger Lily, Orchid, and Peony were popular among ancient Chinese as symbols of their faith and culture; while the Greeks and Romans were known for their love of Roses, Anemones, Rosemary, and wreathes made of Laurels as representations of their victory.

Today, it’s the domestic market that continues to push the global flower industry to its vigour through the never-ending necessity of sending flower gifts or ornamentation purposes. The non-stop flower trade also in turn make more kinds of flowers popular, presenting them to all kinds of customers, unlike the old times when only few were known and were only made available for the rich castes.

To highlight the abundance of today’s flower demand and supply, these are the more recent popular flowers which are mainstays in international flower delivery.

Rose

The rose is a very classic flower and has always been valued for its inherent beauty. Dating back to the ancient times, it always symbolized beauty and love. The red rose is always the favorite one for the purpose of gifting in many occasions. They’re also popular as decors, either for home and office centrepieces or accentuating an event. It actually comes in thousand varieties but among the cut flower type, the Black Bacarra, Milano, Prophyta, Sonrisa, Silk, Avalanche, Luxor, Macarena Spray, Splendid Surprise, Illusion varieties are some of the popular ones.

Chrysanthemums

With forms ranging from daisy-like, pompons, buttons, to decorative, Chrysanthemums are well loved for their wide range of colors, sizes, shapes, and of course inexpensive price.  They always convey the message of joy, fidelity, and love alongside with the sunny nature of their blooms. They’re also known for their culinary, medicinal, environmental, and insecticidal uses aside from being great cut flowers to send as gifts or used as decors. You can grow or order flower varieties of Chrysanthemum from these popular choices: C. carinatum, C. coronorium, C. maximum, C. multicaule, C. parthenium, C. morifolium, C. coccineum, C. frutescens, and C. sizzle salmon.

Tulips

Known for its subtleness and simple elegance, the tulips are popular spring flowers that belong to the Lily family. They’re one of the world’s most recognized and loved flowers because of their colorful blooms and identifiable shapes. They almost fit any occasion because they aren’t too classy, too romantic, too small, too big, or too loud. They simply express coziness and bliss in a natural way. With the many varieties of this flower, the Don Quixote, Carnaval de Nice, Parrot, Apricot, Angelique, Dreamland, Wilsoniana, Queen of the Night, Purissima, and Rem Sensation are the popular ones as gifts, decors, or garden cultivars.

Lilies

Boasting a majestic beauty, lilies are true standouts. Stargazer is the most renowned variety of this family, followed by Madonna, Casablanca, Regal lily, Tiger lily, Japanese lily, Lennox, Hotlips, Muscadets, and more. They’re popular for their spectacular blooms and fragrant scent. These flowers are perfect choice as wedding flowers, gift, or home decors because they simply represent purity and refined beauty that goes with their elegant silhouette.

Carnations

Dreamy, long-lasting, and charming—all these describe the beauty of carnation, which is popular and loved because of its fine ruffled petals, clove-like scent, and long blooming period. It’s also one of the most recognizable flowers and remains to be a  favorite for many occasions. A bunch of white, pink, red, and peach carnations make a very romantic and lush bouquet but always present rustic friskiness when played up with interesting colors of yellow, violet, green, and variegated forms. All the same, they carry powerful sentiments that harmonize with their beauty and freshness, very true to its name, that is “flower of love”.

Gerbera Daisies

The youthful and vibrant beauty of gerbera daisies what makes them a hit to customers. The radiant petals around a soft, round center with smooth, leafless stem are the distinguishing features of this flower. Perhaps it may resemble a sunflower, but a gerbera offers splendid shower of rainbow of colors that range from pink to snow white, sunny yellow to ruby red, orange to rich purple that truly present a festive view. With their bold and striking appearance around, one can always dream about paradise where the spirit is always on high. These flowers truly possess a breezy nature that make gifts, tokens of appreciation, get well messages and home decors really special.

When we’re gazing upon a bouquet blooming with the delicateness of daffodils, carnations, tulips, roses, or lilies, we’re always mesmerized by the beauty we can’t get enough of. We long to see something more. We long to get lost in the trance of splendor, which only this kind of exquisiteness can bestow. It’s like witnessing a miraculous creation that’s been touched only by some sort of a divine existence. But above all, it’s something that always touches a part of our soul.

This is how flowers can move people, but the magic behind it actually lies on human hands, which know how to evoke their gentle spirit. It makes a very good reason why it’s very important to choose flower arrangement carefully so as to elicit the right mood we want.

A key factor in choosing and ordering flower arrangements is understanding the creativity of florists.  Browsing through their work portfolio as seen in their sample bouquets, wreaths, corsages, and vase arrangements can do great help. There’s no doubt you can identify what’s beautiful or not, when, in fact, flowers are after all natural beauties. But it takes mastery and in depth perception of florist to make the most out of that beauty. And that’s what customers should also understand.

Normally, florists use rules in arranging flowers to be successful at it. These principles and elements encompass balance, unity, harmony, and rhythm of flower arrangements. They tackle about colors, flower proportion, texture, weight, and more. To give you an overview, here are some basic elements of floral design:

Balance – it’s the correct flower and vase proportion considering the height and width of the floral composition. The two basic categories of balance are symmetric or asymmetric. As a rule of thumb, the floral arrangement should be one and a half times the container’s height. Symmetric arrangement is characterized by having both sides equal in design. Having an axis helps to delineate how both sides would have a similar look. While the asymmetric type contains different elements on each side but still have equal weight to create a pleasant view.

Line – it refers to the curves or directional movement of the flowers. It’s important to consider the architectural design of the room to match the flowers to be placed in it. An example of this is to consider the tall windows or columns in the room to have an idea how the floral arrangement can imitate the physical features of the room.

Texture – it’s how the arrangement sets the tone. Floral elements and containers that are smooth, shiny, or glittery are great for formal or elegant settings and events. Dried materials, straw, wire, and other rough textures and rugged materials such as wood are considered informal and are best saved for more relaxed decor.

Size of elements – the size of the flowers establish their significance in the arrangement like big flowers possess greater visual weight while small flowers have to be in a greater number to equal a large flower. Having a good visualization of sizes will achieve correct balance in the arrangement.

Color of elements – determining the use of light and dark flowers to achieve harmony in an arrangement is also very important. Dark colors carry greater impression than the light colors, thus, it may take at least a number of light-colored flowers to keep up with one dark flower to maintain harmony.

Weight – florists who have good visual for weight determine the relationship of large flower to smaller flowers like the fillers to create beautiful arrangements. Every flower has a certain degree of importance but is only highlighted through the good use of elements, color, and size consideration.

We hope that these little insights on how florists make successful flower arrangements help you in your needs about ordering flowers.

Growing flowers might be a tedious task and it takes more patience and hard work to produce a spectacle of blooms each year. But proper care and maintenance is all what it needs after you have established good foundation. Here are basic techniques in taking care of your flowering plants:

Maintaining Your Flowers

1. Pruning
   It’s intended to control the growth or to thin a dense plant. Cutting the end of a twig thwarts outward growth on that point but growth redirects to the side buds below, resulting to a bushier plant. Here’s how to make it work without compromising flower reduction:
   Perennials and annuals: Cut the stems back immediately after flowering ends. Remove no more than one-third of the plant especially if it blooms in early summer. The plant will respond by generating more growth but sometimes less abundant encore of flowering.
   Flowering shrubs: Be careful on pruning because some shrubs are safe to prune only in late winter or early spring when they’re coming out from dormancy and growth’s just starting. These shrubs generate branches and leaves during springtime and burst into bloom in summer—typical of bluebeard, hydrangea, and sweet pepperbush. Shrubs that bloom in early spring like azalea, rhododendron, forsythia, lilac, and spicebush require immediate pruning and shaping after flowers wither. Later pruning causes to remove buds that are yet developing for the next bloom.
   Clematis vines: Make sure to ask the nursery what type of clematis you have and when to prune it. Clematis that blooms on new wood should be pruned in spring before growth, and clematis that bloom on old wood (previous season growth) may be pruned after flowering ends
2. Deadheading
   This is done after the flower dies. It ensures that a plant wastes no energy on forming seeds by removing mature flowers which are turning brown or losing petals. Otherwise, they will develop seeds but the plant will start to wane in preparation for next season’s growth. Deadheading disrupt this cycle and fools the plant to continue to produce more flowers, thus prolonging the plant’s blooming period. Picking fresh flowers also accomplishes the same thing. Remember to always make the cut on a slant direction to allow water and dew to run off the cut.
3. Staking
   This will help your towering, top-heavy, and floppy plants to stand tall in their beauty. Bring support in the earliest part of the season so you won’t disturb growing roots any more than is necessary. Early intervention also allows the plant to grow around its support, disguising stakes from view.
   Twigs: Prop up droopy perennials or shrubs by pieces of salvaged brush.
   Thin stakes: Use plastic, bamboo, dowel rods, or anything that can be plunged deeply into the ground to anchor plants well enough. Metal peony rings: Although these are designed for peonies, they can also be useful for other perennials as well. Early installation is ideal but make sure to center them over plant’s crown.
4. Winter Protection
   Above all, it’s best to know the hardiness zone, the climate zone a plant can withstand, to avoid all sorts of trouble and disappointments on buying flowers and plants. Upon knowing which flowers are hardy in your zone, do these tips for winter preparation:
   1. Reduce watering to slow down plant growth as it’s in its dormancy.
   2. Stop fertilizing to avoid early flower blooms that will only be damaged by frost.
   3. Apply mulch to keep heat and prevent frost heaving.
   4. Look for microclimates with little exposure to frost within your landscape where you can grow your plants before winter comes.
   5. Rip and toss annual plants on compost pile but save the seeds of the self-sowing types. Shake the seedheads on areas where you want them to grow the next year.
   6. Transfer your perennials and tropical plants in a pot and bring them indoors or any warmer place. Water them sparingly all throughout the season.
   7. Dig up bulbs, corms, and tubers of non-hardy plants. Cover them lightly with antifungal powder and place them in a cool, dry place.
   8. Cut back the spent flowering stalks of the perennials and apply foliage and mulch.
   9. Leave perennials or hardy vines and climbers on their support because it’s really impossible to extract them. On the other hand, annual vines and climbers won’t stand the frost and will die. After that, pull them out and compost.
   10. Give good soakings on flowering shrubs in late summer or early fall but don’t fertilize nor prune. Mulch the root zone or erect a wire cage around so you can stuff it with autumn leaves. For plants with broad leaves, you can spray them with anti-dessicant to prevent drying up.
   11. Also give good soakings on flowering trees in late summer or early fall. Always make sure to brush heavy snow off of the branches to avoid breaking.

Some flowers are delicate and difficult to grow, while some are easy to deal with but only bloom occasionally. Due to rarity, costly care and nutrition, shipping costs, and other business expenditures, flower customers find it unreasonable to buy flowers from the market. Although we can’t deny that flowers sold by professional florists are fresh, lush, and beautiful and have undergone quality cultivation, monitoring, and handling, the above circumstances often prevent many customers to appreciate the good side of buying flowers.

But for those who have passion for flowers and patience to nurture them, the only solution to this is by growing flowers in their garden, on their spare lot, and even in a pot. Yes, one doesn’t have to take classes or seminars just to be able to grow these beautiful life forms. Sometimes, it only takes determination, patience, and resourcefulness to get you equipped to being a real green-thumb.  More on the brighter side of it, growing flowers is a very satisfying and absorbing hobby, which at the same time always uplifts people and keeps a pleasant and relaxing environment to live in.

This discussion aims to focus on some guidelines on how to grow flowers, which aspiring gardeners should consider first.

Essentials of Growing Flowers

1. Soil
   Plants need to get a good start and we have to consider the roots, which ultimately nourish flower development. The most common cause of poor flowering and struggling plant is also poor or bad soil. Even water and fertilizer won’t be able to change that so carefully attend to that aspect of gardening. Most flowering plants do best in organic matter-laden soil.
2. Temperature
   Flowers also consider temperature which is partially connected to location due to the heat of the sun it receives. It’s best to follow local recommendation on appropriate flowers to grow although there are ways how to grow a flower out of its climate zone like using fences, walls, greenhouse, and refrigerators.
3. Light
   A good spot is usually a sunny spot because most flowers prefer sunshine. The south and west facing locations are known to be the sunniest, but consider the presence of trees, buildings, or fences on that place. Seasonal changes are also important because they regulate the amount of light that reaches a location. A good way to determine the best spot is to observe and take measurements.
4. Fertilizer
   Fertilizers are good complements to rich, fertile soil to give more benefits to flowering plants. All-purpose formulations like 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 add to good health and flower production. The numbers actually stand for the NPK ratio or the relative amount of Nitrogen (N), which enhances stem and leaf growth; Phosphorus (P), which contribute to flower, fruit, and seed production and also root growth; and Potassium (K), which makes sure of the general vigor and disease-resistance of the plant.
5. Water
   As everyone knows that water is a very important factor in the growth of any plant, what others may not know is the best way to give water. So here are the rules:
   – Pamper new plants and seedlings with lots of water
   – Occasional deep watering
   – Slow water delivery is better than a heavy blast
   – Give water to the roots
   – Apply water in the early morning or evening to avoid too much wind and heat so evaporation is minimal. But avoid to water flowering plants that are disease-susceptible at night.

Tips for Growing Flowers in Containers

1. When using clay pots, always ensure more regular watering because clay tend to absorb water from the soil and roots faster than plastic pots.
2. Heavy garden soil is not recommended for container growing because it usually gets waterlogged which causes the roots to rot.
3. Always make sure to plant flowering plants in pots with drainage holes.
4. Turn your flower pots a quarter turn every day to guarantee even, balanced growth and flowering on all sides.
5. Fertilize your soil but see to it that you follow instructions on the label as to not overfeed your flowers because it can reduce flowering.
6. It’s best to water the roots directly than to splash on flowers and leaves, but don’t over-water either, because plants that continually absorb water won’t receive much oxygen their roots needed.

The plethora of flower varieties may give us a choice of infinity. How can we blame ourselves though if there are bunches of flowers like roses, calla lilies, iris, tulips, daffodils, dahlias, carnations, hyacinth, sunflowers, amaryllis, poppies, and heliconias, among the many other flowers growing each year? However, despite this abundance, we can’t just pick haphazardly. Certain flowers are reserved for certain occasions because of the meanings they possess, just like colors which play an important role in the language of flowers— blue is for mysery, pink for grace, red for love, white for purity, and so on. Culture also influences people’s preference for flowers as exemplified by the Chinese being fond of receiving red colored flowers, while the English like receiving flowers from their guests except for white lilies because they signify death. This only means that careful selection and sufficient information may save us from embarrassing ourselves from people whom we’re sending our heartfelt messages.

Without more ado, we hope that this guide about sending flowers for special occasions might help you in your endeavour.

Wedding

Choose flowers which have soft flowing textures and colors that match or complement the wedding’s motif. Wedding planners order certain flowers for their elegance, subtlety, and because of the couple’s preference. The top wedding flowers are roses, calla lilies, lily of the valleys, hydrangeas, peonies, gardenias, ranunculus, sweet peas, and stephanotis. But the best option is always choosing seasonal flowers because not only they’re available during the months but they can also match the season’s mood. You can choose pale, delicate flowers for spring and summer, while dark and rich-colored flowers for fall.

Anniversary

If you’re the unconventional type, surprise is often a great idea. Still, seasonal flowers are the best bet, which you can play up with chocolates, gourmet, or a fruit basket. But if you’re traditional, you can always use the guide below. Either way, always make sure to add personal touch to the flowers you give and consider the personalities of the persons receiving.

Birthday

Bright and colorful flowers are great for birthdays. You can also give the person his or her birthday flower and of course his or her favorite flower to come up with a thoughtful gift. Order flower bouquets either in single flower variant or in assortment.

Get Well Soon

Giving flowers is one of the nicest and kindest way to let a sick person feel your presence and care. Bright and happy colored flowers like daisies, sunflowers, lilies, carnations, and mums are sure heartening choices as if you’re painting happiness on the four walls of a gloomy hospital. Add some note, balloons, or fruits to make it extra special for his or her speedy recovery.

Valentine’s Day

Dark and rich colored flowers in big blooms are always the best option to celebrate V-Day and express your love and affection. Red’s always the motif of this day and roses are the top picks, but as variety comes along everyone can pick whatever they want as long as the flowers convey the right message. Remember colors, the number of flowers, and the flowers themselves do count for their meaning. It’s only during this occasion that a single stem of red rose can express everything. But as we say, variety’s also great. Go for tulips, daisies, lilies, carnations, and orchids in a form of bouquet, in a vase, or with chocolates.

Sympathy and Funeral

White, blue, and violet colored flowers are standards for sympathy and mourning. Although colors of red, yellow, orange, and pink are also considered, it’s best to stick to have a single color to stand out during such occasion. Vibrant and colorful wreaths, posies, and spray are seldom used unless requested by the bereaved family and relatives. Roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, gladioli, gerberas, larkspurs, stargazers, and anthuriums are great choices for this time.

Having these simple advices, we’re hoping that you’re on your way making the right choice so that you can get the message across as if you’re speaking straight from your heart.

For many centuries flowers have already inundated the human civilization. They’ve served to be classic beauties to which legendary people like Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and goddesses of the Aztecs, Greeks, and Romans were associated with. They’re already in the words that ancient sages spoke, in the masterpiece every artist made, and in the reverie of every two people in love.

A flower or blossom remains to be an eternal miracle that sprouts whenever and wherever man needs it. It’s a symbol of faith, of hope, and of love that never ceases to give meaning and inspiration to everyone.

We should give great gratitude for the books, scriptures, poems, and lyrics that made the essence and beauty of flowers to endure our time as we send flowers to celebrate different occasions. And for that reason, let’s hear stories about some flowers in mythology that give meaningful insights about the splendour these delicate creations possess.

Anemone

The red anemone, sometimes called the windflower, is associated with the death of Adonis, known to be the most handsome man in Greek mythology. Adonis is said to be loved by Persephone, the queen of the underworld, and Aphrodite or Venus, the goddess of love. He enjoyed hunting, and one day being alone in the forest, he wounded a wild boar, which stabbed him with its tusks. When Aphrodite heard his cries, she immediately rushed to him, but, unfortunately, only to find him bleeding to death. It was then when red anemones blossomed from the earth, which are believed to be caused by the drops of Adonis’ blood.

In the book of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Venus transformed the blood of Adonis into an Anemone. It’s suggested that the red petals which resemble Adonis’ blood are symbolic of her lost love as is also represented by the petals clinging loosely to the stem and are easily lost in a blow of the wind. While other versions say that it’s Venus’ tears which caused the transformation.

This symbolic story of red anemones however is later adopted by the Christians. For them, they represent the blood shed by Jesus Christ while He was hanging on the Cross. These flowers are also apparent in some paintings that portray the Crucifixion.

Hyacinth

Hyacinthus was a divine hero of Greek mythology. In the literature, Hyacinthus was a beautiful young man loved by Apollo, the sun god, and Zephyr, the West Wind. One day, he took turns throwing and catching the discus with Apollo. It turned out that it’s the same thing that struck and killed him while he was trying to catch it to impress the god. Other accounts tell that it’s Zephyr who blew the discus off the course to kill Hyacinthus because of the feud between the wind god and Apollo. Zephyr had already become jealous when he saw Hyacinth preferring the radiant archery of Apollo, the very reason that triggered him to kill the young man. But the sun god did not allow Hades, the god of the underworld, to claim the young man when he died; rather, Apollo chose to make a flower, the hyacinth, from the spilled blood. After that, he ordered a three-day festival called Hyacinthia in Sparta to honor Hyacinthus.

Narcissus

The Roman version of the story from the tale of Ovid tells about a nymph by the name of Echo falling in love with Narcissus, a very vain young man who disdained everyone who loved him. One day Echo followed Narcissus while he was hunting in the woods. Unable to express herself clearly, she showed herself and embraced the young man, but he only pushed the nymph away and told her to leave him alone. This left Echo inconsolable and spent the rest of her life in the lonely glens where she pined away from her unrequited love until only her voice lingered alone. But she prayed to the goddess of love Venus to avenge her for what Narcissus did. Venus granted her prayer and gave the young man his punishment. When Narcissus took a drink from a pool in the forest, he saw his reflection and immediately fell in love for the first time in his life, unknowingly it was himself. After a while, he realized that it’s his reflection and knowing he could not act upon this, he beat his body until no life force remained in him. Echo came upon him and felt sorrow and pity as he died, but he eventually plunged into darkness and the narcissus flower grew beside the pool where he died.

Flowers aren’t only known for their captivating and hypnotizing beauty. They were also in fact popular in the ancient times as effective medicines for a host of illnesses. They served to be one of the constituents of herbal medicines for over 4000 year, which means they significantly took part in the oldest means of health care in history.  It was actually in 2800 B.C when the first written record of herbalism was published by Emperor Shennong of China. Many progress in other countries followed and during 200 A.D, Galen of Rome prepared the first classification system that paired common diseases with their herbal remedies. Herbal medicine continued to flourish over hundreds of centuries until 21st century Europe supported the compulsory clinical testing of all herbal medicines for regulatory purposes.

Today, most of prescription drugs contain at least single active ingredient obtained from plants while some are synthesized to mimic a plant compound. Salicylic acid actually originated from white willow bark. Vincristine, an anticancer agent comes from periwinkle, while malaria-fighting quinine can be obtained from Cinchona bark. Opium poppy yields morphine and codeine. Indeed, herbal plants alongside with flowers have provided an inextricable means for the advancement of modern medicine.

Even though modern drugs serve to be the most favored form of medicine these days, herbal medicine and flowers have still found their way to the heart of many advocates of natural medicine, which is known today as alternative medicine.

As natural sources of drugs, flowers may provide less harmful side effects to human body, which is why many individuals continue to believe them as modern medical interventions that can improve and maintain overall body wellness.

In line with this subject, here are flowers which are still being used today as alternative medicine for common illnesses:

1.Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

-Its flowers are the most medicinally active part because of their stimulant effect.

– Valued for treatment of colds and influenza

– Has effect on circulatory, digestive, excretory, and urinary systems.

– Has astringent effect

– Decoctions are used to treat haemorrhoids and headaches

– Flower infusion is said to treat hay fever and allergies

2.Pasque flower (Pulsatilla species)

– It’s used to treat menstrual cramps

– It also has sedative effect which is used on painful conditions

– Although toxic if fresh and highly poisonous if taken in large amount, this flower is still valued for its advantageous effect on both male and female reproductive systems

– It’s also used to alleviate ear pain

3. Arnica (Arnica montana)

– Toxic if ingested but very useful when prepared properly in topical forms of cream or dilution.

– It’s used to tread poor blood circulation and frostbite.

– It’s also strictly prohibited to apply cream preparations on open wounds.

4. Echinacea (Echinacea angustifola)

– One study suggested that this flower has antitumor properties.

– It’s also concluded that it can cut the chance of getting a cold or shorten the duration of cold when using its homeopathic preparation.

– Native Americans used this flower to treat snakebites, fever, and wounds.

– It’s said that it can also treat viral, bacterial, and fungal infections and even viral based arthiritis.

– The most medicinally active part is its roots.

5. Pot Marigold (Calendula)

– Has antiviral, anti-genotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

– It’s widely used as topical treatment for acne.

– Traditionally, it’s used to alleviate menstrual cramps and constipation.

6. California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

– It’s used as a gentle sedative that works for people with trouble sleeping.

– It’s safe for children and can be added to teas to relieve stress and tension.

– Menstrual cramps and pains can also be treated by the aerial part of this flowering plant.

7. Lavender (Lavadula officinalis)

­ An effective sedative and calming remedy, perfect for headaches and migraines.

– Its flower oil has a soothing effect on sunburns.

8. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

– Has sedative and calming effects especially on digestive system.

– It’s used to treat insomnia and some skin problems.

9. Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

– Its high gamma-linoleic acid content is said to have anti-breast cancer properties.

– Its seed oil is used to treat skin problems, arthritis, and premenstrual stress syndrome.

10. Sunflower (Helianthus annus)

– Its seeds have diuretic and expectorant properties that are used to treat bronchia, laryngeal, and pulmonary problems.

– The tincture of its flowers and leaves is said to be a good treatment for bronchiectasis if combined with balsamics.

– The infusion of its flowers can also treat menstruation pains and ulcers.

11. Viola (Viola species)

– It flowers are rich in Vitamin A and C and also contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin.

– It cures eczema and varicose vein.

– Can also alleviate urinary problems.

Given the many examples of medicinal flowers, we hope to give another substantial insight and knowledge. As you buy flowers after this, perhaps you will be reminded of the greatness of flowers when it comes to their purpose. It might be even more meaningful if you will be inspired by their beauty and depth of their existence.