At last, the weather should be improving and we can look forward to snow free days. Hallelujah Spring has arrived and the time is here to start putting into actions all those plans you made in the colder winter months. (Have you managed to keep up with all your New Year’s resolutions? – we’ve failed miserably, as usual!!)

But to help cheer us up, this is the highly colourful time of year in the plant calendar.  You will see the larger shrubs Azalea, Camellia’s’ Magnolia’s and Rhododendrons flowering in abundance not only in your garden and the National Trust gardens and parks but also in the countryside and along the hedgerows. Spring flowers such as Daffodils, Tulips and Hyacinths will also start to bloom.  And for the Florists it’s a busy time of in the calendar with Mothers Day and Easter giving us the excuse to spoil our nearest and dearest with floral gifts – and more chocolate!!

March

Are you an Angel?

If your birthday is in March the Pisces amongst you won’t be surprised to learn that the flower associated with yourspecial day is the Jonquil (also known Daffodil or Narcissus) – which to the Victorians came to mean ‘friendship and domestic happiness’.  If the colour of the flower was a white variety, it also had the additional meaning – ‘You are an angel’.  Well, if you can provide domestic happiness.. (more…)

Too young to order flowers for Mum?

Mothers Day, or Mothering Sunday, as it’s known in the UK, has developed over the decades to become a worldwide event to celebrate and show appreciation and gratitude for our Mums and other mother figures in our lives – and that includes the mother in law!.  Although the day and date may vary from country to country, the sentiment remains the same – lots of love to Mum!

Mothering Sunday, like most of the other traditions that we celebrate today, has roots that can be traced back to early Roman and Christian times.   The Roman and Greek goddess’s of motherhood and fertility were Cybele and Rhea who both had holidays in their names during the month of March.  And in Celtic Europe, Brigid and later St. Brigid had a celebration day in spring known as Mothers Day….

Early Christians honoured (more…)

Having a distinctive logo certainly helps a business to get recognised – we’re all familiar with the stylised red letters of Coca-Cola or the Nike “Swoosh” – but logos are also great for communicating a message about the company itself.

Just as a logo can give a traditional or modern impression of a company, using designs from the natural world can create an image hinting at eco-friendliness, simplicity and unity.

Floral logos have become more popular as many businesses try to soften their corporate images and tap into “green” sentiment. Here are just a few:

Wal-Mart

The logo of supermarket giant Wal-mart (which owns ASDA in the UK) has evolved over time. Its latest incarnation is much softer and more charming than previous versions, featuring a stylised asterisk / flower that symbolises the organic and environmentally-friendly values demanded by many consumers.

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To you at $200,000

So we have had the Christmas and new year party excesses and we are into 2010 – its time for the sales!!  But don’t get your hopes up to high of snapping up a bargain if you have dreams of bagging one of the following ‘luxury’ items.

1. An Orchid

But not just any Orchid, the most expensive Orchid in the world!  In  2005 this Orchid was sold at auction for $200,000. The newly developed flower was grown by scientists in China, after eight years of research.

So whatever you do, if you manage to get hold of the plant, don’t put it in a cheap pot.

2. Cooking Ingredients   (more…)

With the recent cold snap we can safely say winter is here!  So love it or hate it we thought we would give you the Workbox take on this ‘hard’ season.  This is the first of our seasonal articles which covers items of interest and things which should simply make you smile!

So let us begin with December, January and February – brrrrr the chilly months.  So having wrapped up well let’s have a look at what we might expect in the coming months….

December

Let’s start by making sure you are looking for the beauty of Christmas roses, snowdrops and winter jasmine flowering in the gardens – a real ray of light on the short days.

The December Flower - Narcissus

For those with a birthday in December, the Sagittarians amongst us the flower generally associated with this month is the Narcissus .  A flower which has come to mean respect, modesty and faithfulness.  And you’ll be interested to know that your birthstone is Turquoise which represents prosperity, success, happiness and good fortune.  Not a bad month to be born!

And for those hardy gardeners amongst you, there is no rest for the wicked – preparation and planning being the buzz words.  Top of the list is tidying up, clearing leaves from the lawn and washing down the greenhouse all in readiness for spring.  Cuttings can be taken from shrubs in order to fill the garden with extra plants for free and it’s also a good time to prepare the soil for new hedges or shrubs you may want to plant in the forth coming seasons.  Digging the ground over and adding compost or manure is a must do as it will provide an excellent start for any new purchases.  It’s also the time to be taking care of any delicate or tender plants by covering them to protect them from any severe frosts or snow.

Notable dates and events in December:    (more…)

Christmas is just around the corner, so what better time for a dip into some of the fun myths and legends associated with the season?

What we know today as the definitive Christian holiday is closely tied to older Roman and Pagan festivals, and lots of its traditions (like the Christmas tree) have their *ahem* roots in these story-telling cultures. So, if you’re sitting comfortably we’ll begin…

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Ever wondered how the certain foliage became synonymous with Christmas – well here’s a few words to satisfy your fascination! 

Holy - Very popular at Christmas

Let’s start with the very traditional Holly and Ivy.  Holly and Ivy have been associated with the festive season, long before inspiring the penning of the 17^th century’s carol ‘The Holy and Ivy’  and the chart topping ‘Mistletoe and Wine’, sung by Sir Cliff Richards in 1988. Pagans decorated their homes during the dark winter solstice months with the evergreens that grew around them, with each plant having its own meaning – Holly and Ivy were symbols of fertility! The male holly and the female ivy intertwined in a wreath or garland was a reminder of the new season/new growth to follow.

Both Holly and Ivy were also believed to have magical powers, being capable of warding off evil spirits and providing power and strength. The druid priests amongst the Irish Celts used Ivy extensively in their spiritual ceremonies. 

The Romans added another “take” (more…)

In Victorian polite society, etiquette was the watchword of the day. Clearly defined social rules governed everything from whom you could speak with and what you could acceptably say; young women risked scandal by openly flirting with strange men and fraternising with those from other social classes was frowned upon.

No wonder then that Victorian courtships were discreet affairs.

Young lovers, often without the option of a direct approach, relied on more subtle means to woo the objects of their affection. Flowers became popular as a secret language, their different varieties symbolising everything words could not.

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Mention the practice of flower arranging to most people and the likelihood is that their thoughts will immediately turn to weddings, table dressing and the Women’s Institute. But since long before the ladies from the WI started strategically hiding their bits behind bouquets, flower arrangements have held meaning and artistic purpose for cultures all over the world.

Use of floral displays in our own society has become so frequent that to some they have almost become background noise; most conspicuous when absent. So what’s the reason for this ubiquity? Why do flowers take pride of place in our homes, workplaces and at special occasions?

It seems that a love of flowers is deep-seated in humanity, that we’re hard-wired to appreciate their beauty, colour and scents. There is even evidence of our connection with cut flowers dating back to before recorded history; traces of pollen from ancient grave sites some 60,000 years old confirms burials with bouquets including hollyhocks, cornflowers and hyacinths.

The precise origins of flower arrangement might be unclear, but we do know of its importance to many cultures and civilisations, past and present. (more…)