Year of Flower.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

It’s 2014. Wow.

SO many great things happening this year! My internship at Flower (which starts in 4 days! Can’t believe it’s finally here!!) and graduation in May, just to name a couple.

I’m determined to make this year the best one yet, so I hope you’ll join me in my adventures to come!

So– new year, new month, new flower.

January’s flower is the carnation.

This is such a fresh-looking flower, which is appropriate since it’s the brand new beginning of a brand new year. Don’t you just love a clean slate?

They come in a variety of colors, but if you would like to make your own shade you can  color them by placing a white carnation in water to which you’ve added the food coloring of your choice. Within 24 hours, the carnation will take up the color in the water. Pretty cool, huh?

They also have many different uses, such as hair accessories and bouquets for weddings:

Color meanings:

• white- devotion and good luck
• light red- admiration
• dark red- deep love
• pink- motherly love

Fun Facts:

• Christian legend holds that carnations sprang up from where the Virgin Mary’s tears fell as she cried over her son’s plight on the cross
• Official state flower of Ohio
• National flower of Spain and Slovenia
• Originated in Eurasia and have been cultivated for 2,000 years, making them among the world’s oldest cultivated flowers
• Botanical name, Dianthus, translates as “flower of the gods”
• Edible blooms
• First carnations in the US came in a shipment from France to Long Island, New York in 1852

Great flower to start the new year with, right?

Forever Floral,

Narcissus

I know, guys. I’m horrible at keeping this blog updated, but it’s finals week so I have an excuse.. 🙂

But this month’s flower is just too good not to share, so I thought I could pause my super intense study session (half true.. okay, one-third..) and reveal one of my favorite flowers to you.

December’s flower is the Narcissus.

It’s a little bit ironic to me since the holiday season is supposed to be about giving and loving others, and the Greek god the flower is named after fell in love with his own reflection.. I mean, the literal translation of narcissism is “a fixation with oneself.”

It’s also a spring-flowering bulb… C’mon… Who paired these together?!

Anyway, this flower is one of the most graceful and elegant flowers out there.

And if it reminds you of a Daffodil, it’s because Daffodils are actually a type of Narcissus plant, along with the fairly common Paper-Whites.

A few facts:

• Most popular flower in Germany
• Derived from Greek word Narke meaning numbness of stupor
• Symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings

Alright, back to studying…

Forever Floral,

Mum’s the Word

It’s November and officially holiday season!!

This month’s flower reminds me of my childhood because of this book:

I can’t tell you how many times I had my mom read this to me. I even had the doll, or stuffed mouse, to go along with it. It became one of my favorite flowers (mostly because it was one of the few I was able to identify.. ).

I’m still pretty partial to this flower. I just love how beautiful it is and what it stands for–

• Etymology: The name “chrysanthemum” is derived from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower).
• Symbolizes optimism and joy
• 13th wedding anniversary flower
• Official flower of Chicago
• Celebrated in Japan with “Festival of Happiness” each year

Aren’t they gorgeous?!

Such a good way to bring cheer during the holidays!

Forever Floral,

Marigolds

Happy Halloween!!

Yes, October is almost over and the holidays are well underway (stores have already started playing Christmas music.. not kidding), but I wanted to quickly share this frequently overlooked flower.

There’s absolutely no mistaking why this flower is known as the October flower…

The Marigold

Not only do these bright, round blooms resemble a perfectly orange pumpkin, they remind me of a full harvest moon.

Fun Facts:

• Named for the Virgin Mary (Mary’s Gold)
•  Burpee president David Burpee launched an energetic campaign to have marigolds named the national flower, but in the end, roses won out.
• For years, farmers have included the open-pollinated African marigold ‘Crackerjack’ in chicken feed to make egg yolks a darker yellow.

Interesting, huh?

Other than needing a lot of sunshine, marigolds have a reputation for being pretty easy to keep up.

Hope you enjoyed!

Forever Floral,

In Full Bloom

Welcome to my new blog!

I feel as if I’m starting a new (extremely floral) chapter with this blog.

Just to give you a little taste, my regular postings will include… well, just about anything and everything relating to flowers.

Surprised? Didn’t think so.  🙂

I thought I’d start out with my favorite flower (at least for today):

The Gardenia

The most graceful of flowers, in my opinion.

This flower has a scent as pure and beautiful as the ivory petals it holds.

A little history: The gardenia is believed to be named after Dr. Alexander Garden, a physician from Charleston, South Carolina. It has long been associated with secret love.

This flower is said to be one of the hardest to maintain, but with such a heavenly aroma I think it is well worth the effort!

I can almost guarantee this flower will be present at my wedding one day.. 🙂

Well, that about sums up my first post!

Hope you guys stick around! Many more flower-filled posts to come!!

Forever Floral,