YORKTON - Happy belated Valentine’s Day! Hoping you all had a sweet day of love or friendship with someone special!
Flowers are the language of love…what will you be whispering in the ear of that special someone? Roses are the classic, elegant message of love on Valentine’s Day. Red roses speak of passion and romance. But other colors have special messages, too. White roses send a message of a new love or a brand new beginning. Pink roses speak of joy and appreciation for someone’s elegance. Yellow roses are a cheery sign of friendship and might also be given as a gentle message of remembrance. Orange roses shout out excitement and passion; and lavender roses are the choice if you felt that thunderbolt and it was love at first sight!
But lest you think that roses are the only floral messengers on this special day, they’re certainly not! Sunflowers are a sign of positive vibes, happiness, and good luck. Tulips, flowers we might associate more with spring and Easter, actually have messages all their own. Red tulips are like red roses, speaking of passion but also saying ‘my feelings are true, baby.’ , making them a nice choice for couples just starting a romance. Pink tulips might be your choice on this day, because they send the message of happiness. Purple blooms have a regal message of high regard for the receiver; and white mean innocence or forgiveness. And an interesting factoid, tulips are the flowers to give on your eleven year anniversary.
In my homework, I read about a flower that was new to me, the rose lily. These are double-flowered lilies that belong to the Oriental lily family but have a much more delicate perfume that their overpoweringly-scented cousins. This flower is ultra-elegant, ultra-sophisticated, and would make a very special Valentine’s bouquet indeed if you were able to find it.
A new twist that sounded intriguing was an arrangement of dried flowers, which speaks of delicate love and permanence. Colours of such a bouquet would be more pastel and antique-looking, but they would stay beautiful for a long time. It’s a more unusual choice, but one that would be very lovely.
Sending gerbera daisies is like sending a big bouquet of smiles! They’re a happy flower that sends cheer and happy wishes no matter what colour they are. Calla lilies are the understated but elegant guests at our flower party; they might not have that shout-out-loud colour impact, but they are certainly stylish and sophisticated.
A wild interest in sedums and succulents brings a whole new idea to Valentine’s flowers. While not the traditional flowers, sedums are a botanical gift that keeps on giving, with colourful and very beautiful sedums like echeveria or Moonstones pachyphytum.
Truly, any bouquet of any flower, given with love and affection, is a delightful Valentine gift, whether the flowers are ‘traditional’ or not. And if you have someone special in your life, whether in family, friendship or romance, don’t miss the chance to tell them how special they are. My precious Mom’s birthday was on Valentine’s Day, and how very, very happy I would be if she was here and I could send her flowers once again. Happy Birthday, Mom.
Okay, I’ve dried my eyes now, and I’ll remind you that the next Yorkton hort meeting is coming up in March; visit our website at www.yorktonhort.ca for details. Thank you to our friends at YTW for their wonderful work.
A bouquet of love to my sweet sweetheart, Keith…and Happy Sweetheart Day, gardeners…have a great week!
