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Why Flowers are So Much a Part of Our Daily Lives

Oct6

Flowers have become an integral part of our daily lives for several reasons, both practical and symbolic:

  1. Aesthetics: Flowers are naturally beautiful and visually appealing. Their vibrant colors, intricate shapes, and fragrant scents add a sense of beauty and elegance to our surroundings, whether in gardens, homes, or public spaces.
  2. Emotional Connection: Flowers have the power to evoke strong emotions and positive feelings. Gifting or receiving flowers can convey love, appreciation, sympathy, or congratulations. They serve as a tangible expression of our emotions and can brighten someone’s day.
  3. Cultural Significance: Flowers have held cultural significance in many societies throughout history. They are used in religious rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations, marking important life events such as weddings, funerals, and holidays.
  4. Symbolism: Different flowers have distinct symbolic meanings. For example, red roses often represent love and passion, while lilies symbolize purity and renewal. People often choose specific flowers to convey particular sentiments and messages.
  5. Healing and Wellness: Flowers are used in aromatherapy and herbal medicine due to their therapeutic properties. Their fragrances and essential oils can promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.
  6. Environmental Benefits: Flowers play a vital role in ecosystems as they provide food for pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. They contribute to biodiversity and help maintain a healthy environment.
  7. Gardening: Gardening is a popular hobby, and flowers are a common choice for home gardeners. Cultivating flowers allows people to connect with nature, enjoy outdoor spaces, and exercise their creativity.
  8. Decoration: Flowers are often used to decorate homes, events, and special occasions. They add charm and color to indoor spaces, weddings, parties, and other gatherings.
  9. Floral Industry: The floral industry is a significant part of the global economy. It includes florists, nurseries, growers, and retailers, providing employment and economic opportunities for many.
  10. Art and Inspiration: Flowers have been a source of inspiration for artists, poets, writers, and designers for centuries. They are frequently depicted in various forms of art, literature, and fashion.
  11. Education and Research: Flowers are used in educational settings to teach biology and botany. They are also subjects of scientific research and study to better understand plant biology, genetics, and reproduction.
  12. Connection to Seasons: Many cultures and individuals associate specific flowers with different seasons. For example, cherry blossoms are closely tied to springtime in Japan, while poinsettias are associated with the winter holiday season.

Overall, flowers have a multifaceted presence in our lives, influencing our emotions, culture, aesthetics, and well-being. Their beauty and symbolism make them a cherished part of human existence, transcending both practical and spiritual dimensions.

Where did all those pretty flowers come from?

Jun11





Wondering where all the pretty spring flowers come from?  Most of them come from the Dutch Flower Auctions and are shipped all over the world. Here’s a little bit about the Dutch Flower Auctions:

"Where did all those pretty flowers come from"The Dutch cut flower auctions form the distribution base for flowers and plants throughout the world. Their magnitude appeals to one’s imagination. The auctions have even become a major tourist attraction in Holland.

There is an endless stream of figures and facts designed to capture the magnitude of auctions. Here are interesting factual tidbits regarding the Dutch cut flower auctions in the world:

  • According to the Guinness Book of Records, the auction in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands is the largest commercial building in the world, comprising one million square meters. For that matter, the total floor space of the Flora Holland outlets equals 1,500,000 square meters or 16,145,865 square feet.
  • The Dutch auction at Naaldwijk has the largest floral cooling space in the world, measuring 43,000 square meters or 462,848 square feet – larger than 10 soccer fields combined. 
  • Over three-quarters of flowers and plants supplied to Dutch auctions are exported.
  • The auction clock was invented in Holland in 1902. The auction takes place by counting down from highest price to lowest price. The buyer stops the clock by pressing a button. If he is the first to press his button, he then purchases the flowers or plants being auctioned.
  • The auction in Aalsmeer draws more than 100,000 visitors annually.
  • At the auctions, the price of cut flowers is always a per stem price.
  • In 2006, Dutch auctions had combined sales of 3,975,400,000 euro – of which 2,500,400,000 euro for cut flowers.
  • Most Dutch cut flowers are exported to Germany, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Belgium.
  • At Dutch auctions, the most popular cut flowers sold are roses, chrysanthemums and tulips (in that order).
  • The export of cut flowers to Russia is the fastest growing (up 26% in 2006) export market for Dutch grown cut flowers.
  • Each year, the Dutch ornamental flower sector develops between 1,200 and 1,500 new flowers and plants.
  • Not all sales take place by the auction clock. The auctions also act as intermediary brokers between flower growers and buyers, without using the clock. This service started in 1972, and now makes up around one-fourth of total sales.
  • Dutch flower auctions use 12 million flower buckets and 800,000 flower boxes annually to get its flowers safely from the grower to the wholesaler.
  • Some 12,300 companies are involved in making deliveries to the Dutch auctions.

So next time you order spring flowers from your local florist, you have a little more insight into what goes into getting them from the earth to you!

Heidi

Be sure and order your next floral bouquet from Eden Florist.

Valentines Day Traditions Around the World

Feb8





Valentines Day Traditions Around the World

Valentines Traditions Around the World"In Austria it has become customary for a young man to present his loved one with a bunch of flowers for Valentine’s Day.

In Australia during the gold rush, miners who were flushed with new found wealth paid high prices for elaborate valentines. The most extravagant of valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed, ornately designed with flowers, colored shells and a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise. 

In Britain some unmarried women get up before sunrise on Valentine’s Day. They stand by the window watching for a man to pass. They believe that the first man they see, or someone who looks like him, will marry them within a year.In Denmark people press white flowers called snowdrops and send them to their friends. Danish men send a type of valentine called a gaekkebrev (joking letter). The sender writes a rhyme but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the valentine with dots, one dot for each letter of his name. If the woman who gets it guesses his name, he rewards her with an Easter egg on Easter. 

In 18th century England unmarried women would pin bay leaves to their pillow on Valentine’s Day in the hope of dreaming of their future husband. Others baked valentine buns with caraway seeds, plums or raisins. 

Remember to order flowers for your VALENTINE EARLY!

(pictured – Pretty Pink Elegance)

Ethnic Guidelines for Sympathy Flowers

Jan12





"Ethnic Guidelines for Sympathy Flowers"Have no idea which flowers are most accepted in certain cultures and religions? Then you’ve come to the right place.  this list will help you choose the perfect tribute to express your sympathy and love. Listed below are the types of flowers which are preferred, which to avoid (if any) and where the final tribute is customarily sent.

African

Religious Affiliation if any: Christian, Muslim, others

Types of flowers preferred are roses, carnations, lilies and tropical exotic bouquets

Color preferences or prohibitions for flowers: none

Where are the flowers customarily sent?  To the funeral home for Christian services and to the home for those of Muslim faith.

Arab

Religious Affiliation if any: Christian, Muslim, others

Types of flowers preferred are roses and carnations, 

Color preferences or prohibitions for flowers: none

Where are the flowers customarily sent?  To the funeral home for Christian services and to the home for those of Muslim faith.

Asian

Religious Affiliation if any: Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, others

Types of flowers preferred are chrysanthemums, lilies, orchids and gladioulas or stalk-like flowers (such as snapdragons and larkspur).

Color preferences or prohibitions for flowers: Chinese avoid red. Koreans prefer white and light yellow

Where are the flowers customarily sent?  To the funeral home for Buddhist and Christian services and to the home for those of Muslim faith.

Chaldean

Religious Affiliation if any: Christian (primarily Roman Catholic)

Types of flowers preferred are roses, carnations and lilies 

Color preferences or prohibitions for flowers: Red symbolizes love and loss; white flowers are used at children’s funeral services.

Where are the flowers customarily sent?  To the funeral home

Jewish

Religious Affiliation if any: Jewish

Types of flowers preferred are roses, snapdragons or gladioulas orchids and tropicals

Color preferences or prohibitions for flowers: none

Where are the flowers customarily sent?  To the home.

Hispanic

Religious Affiliation if any: Christian (primarily Roman Catholic) and others

Types of flowers preferred are roses, carnations, snapdragons or gladioulas orchids and tropicals

Color preferences or prohibitions for flowers: none

Where are the flowers customarily sent?  To the funeral home.

See also Funeral Flowers and Religion 

Find out more at Sympathy Etiquette FAQ’s

 

Note: this article was originally posted in January 2008. We decided it was one our readers would appreciate re-reading…

Thanksgiving Myths and FACTS

Nov19





"Thanksgiving Myths and FACTS"Mayflower Myths

The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different from the original parts.

Myth:

The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and the pilgrims celebrated it every year thereafter.

Fact:

The first feast wasn’t repeated, so it wasn’t the beginning of a tradition. In fact, the colonists didn’t even call the day Thanksgiving. To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities that the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast–dancing, singing secular songs, playing games–wouldn’t have been allowed. The feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the pilgrims minds.

Myth:

The original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November.

Fact:

The original feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11. Unlike our modern holiday, it was three days long. The event was based on English harvest festivals, which traditionally occurred around the 29th of September. After that first harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists, Gov. William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer, shared by all the colonists and neighboring Indians. In 1623 a day of fasting and prayer during a period of drought was changed to one of thanksgiving because the rain came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed in New England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest.

During the American Revolution a yearly day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states had done the same. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November, which he may have correlated it with the November 21, 1621, anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod. Since then, each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).

Myth:

The pilgrims wore only black and white clothing. They had buckles on their hats, garments, and shoes.

Fact:

Buckles did not come into fashion until later in the seventeenth century and black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions. Women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown.

Myth:

The pilgrims brought furniture with them on the Mayflower.

Fact:

The only furniture that the pilgrims brought on the Mayflower was chests and boxes. They constructed wooden furniture once they settled in Plymouth.

Myth:

The Mayflower was headed for Virginia, but due to a navigational mistake it ended up in Cape Cod Massachusetts.

Fact:

The Pilgrims were in fact planning to settle in Virginia, but not the modern-day state of Virginia. They were part of the Virginia Company, which had the rights to most of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The pilgrims had intended to go to the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered “Northern Virginia,” but they landed in Cape Cod instead. Treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south.

(adapted from the History Channel)

Only a few days left to order flowers for your Thanksgiving table. Be sure to send flowers to your family and the host of your family dinner . Call Eden Florist at 954-981-5515 or order online at EdenFlorist.com

Florascope – Aquarius

Jan20





Aquarius

January 20-February 18

A friend to all, you know no strangers, only friends you have yet to meet.  You are an idea person, an inventor, a good communicator and one of your strengths is your ability to listen and learn.  You can be brilliant and sometimes erratic, however most happy when following your passions.

The flowers that best represent you are tulips and mums.

Need to order flowers for the Aquariun in your life?  Visit EDEN FLORIST