When we think about flowers, a wonderful, absolutely charming state surrounds us and makes us grateful for the gift of having a piece of heaven right beside us. Flowers are more than plants, are some goddess that Mother Nature made them for us to reveal our true spiritual, divine essence.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said “The Earth Laughs in flowers”, these beautiful creatures embrace us with all their happiness and grace, filling our souls with uplifting moods, making us contemplate the glory of our Mother Earth.

Flowers have an ancient history; their beauty was captured on the walls of the caves in which primitives lived, was an inspiration for poetry, some where used as food and others in medicine. They were even surprised in legends and myths, as the legend of rose, lily, tulip, iris and so on.

The feminine energy captured in their structure give flowers angelic and noble traits, they have the power to change moods, create magnificent states, please all kind of people and bring joy in our souls. Flowers are true gifts given to us in our little world, gifts that we should appreciate and be grateful for; if we would listen to their beautiful symphony, if we would see the splendor in their manifestation, for sure we would find our true meaning and be superior beings.

Kingston Flowers represent beauty, freshness and fragrance for all occasion whether it a birthday, wedding, birth. There is no telling the amount of situations you can get away from with a bouquet of Kingston flowers. The feelings flowers bring to the recipient is a warm loved feeling and you will feel accomplished when you surprise someone with Flowers.

Everyone feels special when they are given flowers and will have that feeling for a really long time. This gets even better when you take time to always send that special someone you love some flowers from Saskatoon Flowers.

There are many ways you can get flowers but the best most beautiful flowers are from Canada florist shops. These are flower shops that are dedicated to serving people all over Canada with freshly picked flowers, delivered with absolute caring hands to any destination in Canada!If you don’t know where your local Kingston florist is located, then the internet would be a nice place to start your search.You are given many options to choose from and the search is made really easy. The internet is also the place where you can read reviews on many of Canada flower shops there are out there and finally decide the one that is fit for your budget and occasion.

Your Kingston florists have fresh Canadian flowers in prearranged bouquets or you can create some flower arrangement to suit your own personal style and budget. These other gifts are creatively packed together with the flowers and will surely make your recipient feel special.

Kingston Flowers can save any situation. There comes a time when you forget an occasion like someone’s birthday. A Kingston florist is the closest to you and you will feel more comfortable dealing with them as opposed to taking the flowers from an outside retailer.

You will find great tips on how you can pick flowers for all occasions; how you can send the flowers to that special someone.  And….Some Canada flower shops even sell candy that you can buy together with the flowers to perk up the occasion you will be sharing with your loved one.

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.