The 14th of February, popularly known as Valentine’s day, is fast approaching – the acclaimed day for the celebration of love.
If you haven’t planned how to spend the day with your love, assuming that you have a romantic interest, now is perhaps the next best time to.
One business that would benefit greatly from this day, and always has across generations, is the florist’s. Flowers are expected to be exchanged to and fro on this day, so whether you are the giver or the receiver, you should know a bit about flowers and what they may symbolise.
Here are some flowers and a bit of information about them.
Roses
You know these flowers, you’ve heard of them but you may not know of them. Derived from the Latin word Rosa, They are popularly known for their vibrant beauty and fierce thorns. They belong to the family rosaceae and date back to over 35 million years ago. Across time, they have been used as symbols of love, secrecy, religion and even as a National symbol notably in the Wars-of-the-Rose, a series of civil wars which held in the 15th century, in England.
The roses come in different colours, shapes and sizes, each with its different symbolism. For example, the red rose popularly represents romance, the pink rose symbolises gratitude, the yellow rose, friendship and the white rose, purity. It might also interest you to know that the number of roses in a bouquet symbolises the depth of feelings you profess. For example; One rose means love at first sight, three roses mean “I love you” and nine roses represent eternal love.
Daisies
The name is derived from the old English word daegesege which means “day’s eye”, originating from the fact that the petals of these flowers open at dawn and close at dusk, almost like it has its own circadian rhythm.
These bright colourful flowers belong to the family asteraceae with over 32,000 species.
Daisies also symbolise different things depending on the colour.
The white daisies represent purity, the red daisies, passion, the yellow daisies- symbolise warmth, the orange daisies, friendship, the pink daisies, gentle love, the blue daisies represent trust and the purple daisies, elegance.
Tulips
The history of tulips dates back to Central Asia and the name comes from the Persian word for turban. This relates to the shape the tulips take while blooming. There’s a tragic Persian story about the origin of the first tulip. The tale itself tells the story of two star-struck lovers who both die from the news of the death of the other. It is said that at the spot where their blood flowed, the first tulip bloomed. Tulips have since then been linked to deep, passionate love. They also signify new beginnings because they bloom in the spring.
Alstroemarias
These flowers with upside-down leaves are also known as the Lily of the Incas, Peruvian Lily or the Parrot Lily. They are novel to the mountain regions of Peru, Chile and Brazil but have since been naturalised in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The flower was named by Baron Claus Von-Alstromer who discovered it in Spain on a trip in 1753. There are over 50 species, and types include Adonis, Aimi, Candy and Inca Ice.
They denote friendship, devotion, support and hope.
Orchids
The name originates from the Greek word orkhis which means testicles because of the shape of the root tubers in some species of orchis. As a result of this, they were associated with virility in ancient Greek. It was believed that the bigger the size of the tuberous roots consumed, the greater the chances of having a son. They belongs to the family orchidaceae with over 28, 000 species.
They have symbolised different things in different cultures over time. The ancient Aztecs associated them with power while they symbolised luxury and elegance during the Victorian era. They were used as medicines in Chinese culture.
In general, they represent charm, beauty, faith and of course, love.
Hopefully, this has helped you understand more about the flowers you give and those you receive. You can also go ahead and get yourself some, because you sure deserve some flowers.
