Jack has given flowers every week for 70 years

Valentine’s Day is still a few weeks away, but one romantic pensioner has shown that tokens of love need not be confined to just one week of the year.

In perhaps the most touching story of the year so far, it has been revealed that 89-year-old Jack Mills has bought a bouquet of flowers for his wife Millie every week for the past 70 years; gifting her a total of over 3,000 bouquets in the process since their marriage in 1942. (more…)

Philcoxia Minensis: A Delicate Carnivore

There are several well-known carnivorous plants in the world, such as the Venus Fly Trap, Tropical Pitcher plants and ingenius Drosera. All deadly and all very obviously carnivores. Whether they snap shut on an unsuspecting insect, ensnare them inescapable chambers or trap them in glue before sucking out their nutrients, it is abundantly clear that the plant is feeding on the insect.

However, a newly discovered carnivorous plant isn’t quite so obvious in its methods and prefers to do its hunting out of sight. The Philcoxia minensis, recently studied in its native Brazil, looks innocent enough but while there are only delicate purple flowers to see above ground, below the surface it is busy munching its way through the local wildlife. (more…)

Daffodils: Appearing now in a field near you

In what is fast becoming an annual event, Spring has arrived in Britain’s countryside and gardens early again this year. Or at least that’s what many flowers seem to think.

The exceptionally mild weather and lack of ground frost has seen many of our wild flowers emerging earlier than ever, with the Woodland Trust reporting snowdrops and daffodils in full bloom several weeks ahead of schedule. (more…)

Buttercups: Mystery solved

Most of us will have played the game during childhood – hold a buttercup under your chin and if it glows yellow then it shows that you like butter – but how many gave a thought as why buttercups behave in this peculiar way when other flowers don’t? Well if it was a concern then worry no longer, as science has found the answer.

Researchers looking into the problem found that it is the anatomical structure of the buttercup that sets it apart from other flowers and allows it to reflect light so efficiently.

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Remembrance Day Poppy: Lest We Forget

Today, people in many parts of the world paused in quiet reflection to remember those who have fallen in armed conflict. Armistice Day, marking the date when Germany signed the armistice to officially end World War I (at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month) is also known as Poppy Day in reference to the flower that has become synonymous with the occasion.

The Poppy Appeal in Britain dates back to 1921 and drew inspiration from the famous poem ‘In Flanders’ Fields‘ written by John McCrae, a field surgeon in the Canadian artillery, but it was American War Secretary, Moina Michael,who first started the tradition of wearing poppies in remembrance. (more…)

Use your local florist

Consumers today have more choice than ever before when buying products and services. Thanks to the internet we can buy things from companies not just based on the other side of the country, but also on the other side of the world. What’s more, buying from these distant online retailers is often easier than walking down our local high street.

However, just because buying online is easy it doesn’t mean it’s always the best option. Using your local florist can give you a number of benefits that it’s impossible to get from many online flower retailers. (more…)

Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer awareness is a cause that is important to many people; which is unsurprising as it is one of the UK’s most common diseases. It is estimated that 50,000 new cases are diagnosed in this country every day, which equates to someone discovering they have breast cancer every 10 minutes.

Happily, the survival rates for breast cancer are steadily improving as a result of earlier detection and more effective treatments. Playing a big part in this push for greater awareness of the disease are some of our florists, who have taken part in events and even produced special bouquets and displays to support the cause. (more…)

Autumn crocus: A new hope for cancer treatment

Researchers have found a surprising new ally in the fight against the cancer in the shape of the Autumn crocus.

Experiments have found that a modified version of the chemical colchicine, which causes the plant to be poisonous to humans, is able to target tumours like a “smart bomb” whilst leaving the rest of the body unaffected. (more…)

Restoring wild flower meadows

Kew Gardens has launched a new initiative to help protect and restore wild flower meadows in the UK.

The UK Native Seed Hub, part of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank project, will provide conservation groups across the country with seeds for native wild flower species and the advice on how to manage natural meadows in their areas. (more…)

Edinburgh's Amorphophallus titanum aka "Corpse flower"

Staff at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden have been left disappointed (or should that be relieved?) after the smelliest plant in the world failed to come into flower as had been anticipated.

Botanists had predicted that the garden’s star attraction, a giant Amorphophallus titanum or “Corpse flower”, would finally bloom after eight years developing in their hothouse, but sadly it wasn’t to be this season. (more…)