Love blossoms

“My love is like a red, red rose…” Robert Burns, eighteenth century Scottish Poet

The tradition of giving flowers for Valentine’s Day first became popular during the seventeenth century and has continued to this day. Any girl (or guy, if they admitted it!) loves to receive a bouquet of flowers.

Since the beginning of time, flowers have been used as tokens of love and affection. Brides in ancient Greece carried bouquets of mint and marigold as they were thought to be aphrodisiacs; Roman brides carried wheat to ensure fertility, while roses have always been linked with passion and desire.

The tradition of giving flowers for Valentine’s Day first became popular during the seventeenth century and has continued to this day. Any girl (or guy, if they admitted it!) loves to receive a bouquet of flowers. Whether it’s a decadent floral arrangement or a simple bunch of hand-picked poesies, Valentine’s Day flowers are the perfect way to express your love and feelings to your beloved.

The most traditional and popular bloom at this time of year is the long stemmed red rose. The epitome of love and desire, this flower was also considered to be the favourite of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. A single, red rose is said to signify ‘true’ love and will often be surrounded by baby’s breath poesies. Of course, there is a huge array of alternatives to the rose available for the romantic in you, with the red chrysanthemum, myrtle and orchid all believed to symbolise absolute love and adoration.

For the modern romantics among you, there are a number of  alternative twists on the old favourites. Among those gaining in popularity are white carnations, to symbolise the purity of your love; yellow tulips, to tell the world just how hopelessly in love you are; and for those of you in the early days of a relationship, lilacs represent the first flushes of love.

Anybody organising a Valentine’s wedding is in the enviable position of having a wonderful selection of flowers to choose from. Once the holly and the ivy come down on the 6th of January, the prospect of fresh growth heralds the arrival of  those beautiful and delicate Spring flowers that we know and love. Some of these need no introduction, such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Others that might be less valued but are equally as beautiful are early cherry blossom, fragrant lilac, buttercups, marigolds and the soft green white snowball bush.

Whether you’re a blushing Spring bride who desires the softest and most natural  bouquet on her special day, or are simply a loved-up lady just waiting for her Valentine’s Day blooms to arrive,  you’re sure to find a flower to satisfy your heart’s desire.