Tag Archive | History of Flowers

Creating Moods through Flowers Video


Welcome to Flowers and Colors – The Secrets to Creating Moods through One of Natures Greatest Gifts – Flowers.  My name is Heidi Richards Mooney, Owner of Eden Florist and I am delighted to share a journey through floral history, myth and symbolism with you.

How Did The Passion Flower Get Its Name?


Passion Flower ~ Belief

passion flower

She heard no sound before her gate,
Though very quiet was her bower.
All was as her hand had left it late:
The needle slept on the broidered vine,
Where the hammer & spikes of the passion-flower
Her fashioning did wait.”
Helen Gray Cone

In the 16th Century Christian Missionaries in South America named the flower (Passiflora spp) because they saw it as being a symbol of the death of Jesus Christ. It was the first flower they saw on their journey and they saw it as a good sign.

They thought that the five sepals and the five petals of the passion flower represented the ten disciples without Judas Iscariot and Peter.

They also thought that the double row of filaments (corona) on the passion flower represented the crown of thorns that Jesus was made to wear. It also resembled a halo.

The vine tendrils represented the whips that were used to scourge Jesus.

As a naturally grown medicinal herb, the passion flower is used as a sedative in nervous disorders (including gastrointestinal complaints of nervous origin), difficulties in sleeping, and anxiety or restlessness. Passion Flower reduces spasms and depresses the central nervous system. (Note: consult a health care professional before using passion flower as a medicinal supplement or herb).

The plant is indigenous to an area from the southeast U.S. to Argentina and Brazil.

Romance Trivia – Part One


Just as a prism of glass miters light and casts a colored braid, a garden sings sweet incantations the human heart strains to hear.  Hiding in every flower, in every leaf, in every twig and bough, are  reflections of the God who once walked with us in Eden. Tonia Triebwasser, The Color of Grace

In honor of Summer, a time when many romances consumate in marriage, I thought it would be fun to share some romance trivia with you.  These are things I have collected over the years and unfortunately don’t remember the sources:

 

 

 Aphrodisiacs
Wild cabbage was traditionally recommended as an aphrodisiac.

 

Coffee Break Romance
It’s reported that more than 10,000 marriages a year now are directly traceable to romances which begin during coffee breaks.

 

Forgotten Romance
Most recent research indicates just about 9,000 romantic couples each year take out marriage licenses, then fail to use them.

Honeymoons
The word honeymoon first appeared in the 16th century. ‘Honey’ is a reference to the sweetness of a new marriage and ‘moon’ is a bitter acknowledgment that this sweetness, like a full moon, would quickly fade.

Marriage In Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome there was no legal ceremony by a priest, minister, or civil servant or any 3rd party to solemize a marriage and there were no formal records of the marriage. The couple agreed to live together and they became recognized as married by the fact they lived together, or by actions such as the man referring to the lady as his wife, or by evidence of a dowry, or by the general acceptance of their life-style as representing a husband-wife relationship. Divorce was by agreement or by simply leaving the household on the part of either partner.

Mating Birds
It was believed that birds chose their mates on February 14th and because doves mate for life, they have become a symbol of fidelity.

 

 

Stay tuned for part two…

Heidi

Be sure and visit Eden Florist for your wedding needs!

History and Meaning of Lilies


Lily (lilium candidum) Purity

” My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, 
and to gather lilies”
– Song of Songs 6:2 –

lily.jpg

The lily, regarded as the symbol of purity, is one of the oldest flowers in the world. It can be found painted on the walls of ancient Greek palaces where it was the personal flower of Hera, the moon goddess.  Legend has it that the first lily sprang from the tears dropped by Eve when she left the Garden of Eden. A garden is portrayed as the dwelling place of the gods in the religions and mythology of nearly every ancient nation in the world.  Indian literature states that the gods resided in the Garden of Indra, among fruits and flowers giving immortality to all who visited. Many sacred meanings – handed down from generation to generation – have been given to the plants that first grew in these incredible gardens, and since dedicated or symbolic to the gods and prominent figures of the world’s religions..

In biblical times all the way through the Middle Ages, the emphasis of flowers was for their fragrance, their healing powers, not for decorative purposes, and perhaps more so for their sweet smell since bathing was not a regular activity. Decorating with flowers is a relatively modern term. The bible only mentions picking of flowers once, as referred to in the above sited verse from Song of Songs.  And the Mishna speaks of the picking of lilies (Toh. 3:7). According to the Mishna, rose gardens existed for their fragrance and were used in preparation of perfumes.

Some of the flowers mentioned in the Talmud are the narcissus, jasmine and saffron, each widely used both for aromatic and medicinal purposes.

Abraham Ibn Ezra probably had the White lily in mind when he stated that the names Shoshan and Shoshanna are derived from the Hebrew word “Shesh,” which means six.  The white lily has six white petals, as well as a pistil and five staman – six in total.  This large, beautiful flower is often referred to today as the White Mountain Lily or Casa Blanca Lily and can still be found in forests in Galilee and Mount Carmel areas of Northern Israel.

“And the stately lilies stand
Fair in silvery light
Like saintly vestals, pale in prayer;
Their pure breath sanctifies the air,
As its fragrance fills the night.”

– Anonymous – 

Order a Lily bouquet from Eden Florist

To read more about the Language of Flowers visit Eden Florist’s Language of Flowers 

The History of the Shamrock


Near a misty stream in Ireland in the hollow of a tree
Live mystical, magical leprechauns
who are clever as can be
With their pointed ears, and turned up toes and little coats of green
The leprechauns busily make their shoes and try hard not to be seen.
Only those who really believe have seen these little elves
And if we are all believers
We can surely see for ourselves.
(Irish Blessing)
  

Shamrocks have been symbolic of many things over the years. According to legend, the shamrock was a sacred plant to the Druids of Ireland because its leaves formed a triad, and three was a mystical number in the Celtic religion, as in many others. St. Patrick used the shamrock in the 5th century to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as he introduced Christianity to Ireland. In written English, the first reference to the Shamrock dates from 1571, and in written Irish, as seamrog, from 1707. As a badge to be worn on the lapel on the Saint’s feast day, it is referred to for the first time as late as 1681. The Shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan’s Parliament in the 1770’s, before ’98 and The Act of Union. So rebellious did the wearing of the Shamrock eventually appear, that in Queen Victoria’s time Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. At that time it became the custom for civilians to wear a little paper cross colored red and green.

As a symbol of Ireland it has long been integrated into the symbol of the United Kingdom, along with the Rose, the Thistle and the Leek of England, Scotland and Wales. So today, on St. Patrick’s Day, a member of the British Royal Family presents Shamrock to the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army.
 The shamrock became symbolic in other ways as time went on. In the 19th century it became a symbol of rebellion, and anyone wearing it risked death by hanging. It was this period that spawned the phrase “the wearin’ o’ the green”.

Today, the shamrock is the most recognized symbol of the Irish, especially on St. Patrick’s Day, when all over the world, everyone is Irish for a day!The original Irish shamrock (traditionally spelled seamróg, which means “summer plant”) is said by many authorities to be none other than white clover (Trifolium repens), a common lawn weed originally native to Ireland. It is a vigorous, rhizomatous, stem-rooting perennial with trifoliate leaves. Occasionally, a fourth leaflet will appear, making a “four-leaf clover,” said to bring good luck to the person who discovers it.  (Source: Taunton.com and Funmunch.com) Take the shamrock personality test!  Here’s mine:

What Your Shamrock Says About You
You are brilliant, analytical, and somewhat of a perfectionist. You are ultra competent and knowledgeable.At times, people find you intimidating. You can be a bit sarcastic and harsh.

You don’t really consider yourself a lucky person. In your view, people create their own luck.

You are creative, innovative, and complicated. You definitely have a unique spin on the world.

irish-for-a-day.jpg

Celebrate Saint Paddy’s Day with flowers from Eden Florist!

Meaning of Flowers – Poppy


poppy.jpg

Poppy

“Wealth and Success”  Botanical Name: Bocconia    Family: Papaveraceae

We are slumberous Poppies,
Lords of Lethe downs,
Some awake and some asleep,
Sleeping in our crowns.
What perchance our dreams may know,
Let our serious beauty show.

There are many kinds of poppy, including California poppies, Iceland poppies, and perennial poppies. Red poppies symbolize fantastic extravagance. On the other hand, yellow poppies stand for wealth and success. White ones can convey forgetfulness and sleep.  Poppy is among the most loved flowers. These plants generally bloom during the spring and early summer.

The field poppy was grown by the ancient Egyptians.

The poppy plant was sacred to Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain. She was often depicted wearing wearing a wreath made of the blooms and carrying corn, which she would offer as a sacrifice to the Gods.  The poppy has been called many names such as Thunder flower. The myth is that when children would pick the flower, the petals would fall and they would then be struck by Thunder.  One of the old country names was Cheesebowl because there is a little round bowl in the bottom of the flower’s head, filled with seeds set in something that resembles cheese. The poppy has also been associated with fertility, and represented the blood of dead warriors. Because of the its strong smell, it has even been called the headache flower.

When you need flowers, remember Eden Florist & Gift Baskets