Flowers UK London

The history of the iris flower is very rich and varied. In Greek mythology, Iris was the Queen of the gods’ (Hera’s) personal messenger. She was also the embodiment of the rainbow.  Her swift wings we renowned for their speed and she had the uncanny ability to be where she was mostly needed at the right time.

Ancient Egyptian kings marveled in the iris’s exotic nature, and drawings have been found of the flower in a number of Egyptian palaces and tombs. These flowers were used as adornments for the war chariots of heroes and were given as gifts to lovers and gods.

During the middle Ages, the meaning of irises became linked to the French monarchy, as the Fleur-de-lis (stylized design of the iris) eventually became the recognized national symbol of France. From their earliest years in Europe, irises were used to make perfume as well as medicinal remedies.

Today, they are mostly seen in gardens, in bouquets, and in the wild all over the world. The flower which bears the name of the Greek goddess can be used in bouquets and arrangements to convey a special message to your loved one and appear just when she/he needed it most. 

Flowers are a popular way of expressing one’s love and devotion for a person. They are also a much appreciated way of sending one’s best wishes for a speedy recovery.

In ancient times, flowers were thought to have magical powers and healing properties. Some flowers were thought to have been created from the blood of gods and goddesses. Such blossoms were revered and seen as magical incarnations of the deity.

Even though some of those so called miraculous properties were rather exaggerated and disproportionate, beautiful flowers are a wonderful way of drawing a big smile from the recipient and brightening their day!

Feeling more cheerful is halfway to recovery!

Long ago, in the Golden age of the Hellenic period lived a beautiful youth: Narcissus. His beauty and grace broke many hearts and despairing sighs followed him wherever he went. His cruelty towards his admirers caused them to curse him and wish he fall in love with someone as inaccessible as he was to others and suffer the curse of unrequited love.

 Those curses were granted when Narcissus caught a glimpse of himself in a pool and fell hopelessly in love with his remote reflection. The myth tells of Narcissus’ death at the pool for he could not quench his thirst for fear of shattering his own image into thousands of pieces.

 Seeing his lifeless body lying by the pool, the gods of the Olympus took pity on this beautiful youth and decided to elevate his body into a beautiful flower which bears his name.

 Till this day, the Narcissus is a symbol of unrequited love and self admiration. Why not send a bouquet composed with these poetic flowers to your special lady?  

In ancient legends the demigods, often the children of a god and a human woman, were used in many tales. Some were the personifications of flowers …

Hyacinth was a beautiful youth beloved by the god Apollo The two took turns throwing the discus until Apollo, to impress his beloved, threw it with all his might. Hyacinth ran to catch it, to impress Apollo in turn, and was struck by the discus as it fell to the ground and he died.

Another myth adds that the wind god Zephyrus was actually responsible for the death of Hyacinth. The boy’s beauty caused a feud between Zephyrus and Apollo. Jealous that Hyacinth preferred the radiant archery god Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo’s discus off course, so as to injure and kill Hyacinth. When he died, Apollo didn’t allow death to claim the boy; rather, he made a flower from his spilled blood.
Although the mythical Hyacinth was male, Hyacinth is currently in use in English as a female name, usually in reference to the flower and not the mythological figure. There are names that are variations of Hyacinth, e.g. Jacinto in Spanish, Giacinto in Italian, both falling out of use, and Jacek still very popular in Polish.

Growers in the Russian resion of Penza have set up a new rose growing operation with the advice of a Dutchman.

They started eight years ago with two square kilometres of growing area. By the year 2010 it will occupy 300 hectares and the harvest will grow from today’s 30,000 flowers to 200,000 per day.

Russia is looking to the considerable financial gain they can make, due to the enormous profitability of the flower business. Some people will always be buying flowers, with statistics showing they’re spending hundreds of dollars each year on the latest bouquets.

Bunches are sent to a number of Russia’s big cities - from Chelyabinsk to Moscow and St Petersburg, and are also sent to the country’s closest neighbours.

But head of sales Svetlana Potyemina says the main aim is to corner the European market.

The world’s current top producers are Ecuador. “First we can squeeze them out of Russia’s markets and then go to conquer their own”, Potyemina says. With so much concern for green sourcing of goods we will be buying from a nearer market and saving pollution.

I enjoy my day working as a driver for Flowers24hours.co.uk It gets me out and about all over London, and sometimes further afield. But there is one less than carefree aspect to the work: parking tickets!

If you feel that these are unfairly issued you can and should contest them.

I have picked up a few parking tickets when I have been on delivery, even with a notice on the windscreen saying “Flower Delivery - back in minutes” and hazard lights flashing, sitting on a single yellow line with no kerb marks.

So what to do then?

Firstly make sure that you reply to the ticket promptly making it clear that you were not parked but on a delivery. Add copies of delivery sheets with times and signatures to back up your case. Keep a copy of everything together in a folder where you can find it. Any emails should be sent with “read acknowledgment” switched on.

Make clear in your representation why you are appealing the ticket (In our case usually because we were delivering and not parked) If the parking restrictions are not clear, perhaps broken up by roadworks or obscured by trees or other signs, you could well have grounds for appeal.

Remember that 68% of appeals are successful!

The scent of flowers may become a thing of the past, say researchers, who suggest pollution is destroying the natural perfume.

As well as swamping the more delicate fragrances, pollution breaks down the natural scents that flowers emit to attract insects. It also reduces the distance the fragrance can travel, meaning that bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects are less likely to be drawn to the flower, says the study published in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

Pollutants are also absorbed by flowers, this makes them uninviting to the insects needed to pollinate them.

It is said by scientists that this is also the reason for the deterioration of certain plants and insects.

Jose Fuentes, a professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia, who led the study said: “The greater the amount of pollutants in the air, the greater the rate of destruction of the flower scents.”

source: Telegraph.co.uk

Gardeners in Beijing are working furiously to plant 40 million flowers throughout the city in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in August.
Workers are expected to plant 5 million pots surrounding venues where the Games will take place, China’s Official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

Some of the flowers will be sculpted and arranged to exhibit ancient Chinese culture, while the majority of them will be put in the ground, the report said.

Zhou Jianping, an official from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry, said 100 types of flowers that can withstand humidity and heat were selected to prepare for the possibility of extreme weather.

The flowers should all be planted by July 15, Xinhua said.
Source:upi.com

Once upon a time, a young lady prepared for her prom evening. The dress, the shoes, the hair and the make up were considered individually and with great care. But… What about the flowers?!?

Boutonnières were an essential part of the male’s attire. These typically are made up of a single flower or bud which is pushed through the buttonhole of a jacket. These, however are often omitted these days. Why not revive the tradition?

Wrist Corsages were, in earlier years, an unforgettable aspect of a celebration. The young lady would be offered a wrist corsage by her date who would own a matching boutonnière. These would often consist of a small bouquet of flowers worn at the shoulder, waist or even on the wrist. However, just like the boutonnières, the presence of corsages for proms or balls has been neglected, so why not inaugurate a new fashion right back from the past to your celebration?

White freesia harmonises with lavender grape hyacinth to create a fresh look right out of another century!

For a traditional vibe, do consider red roses and white baby’s breath in a beautiful and breathtaking assemble!

For a more contemporary, bright as well as fresh look, why not choose a corsage composed of a simple pink cymbidium orchid?

As I was walking to work today I passed a man wearing Dunlop Green Flash shoes. These have been in and out of fashion since the 1930s when the great Fred Perry won the Wimbledon title wearing them.

But what of fashion in flower bouquets and arrangements?

Over the years there have been changes

sixties: multicoloured extravaganza

seventies: modernist

eighties: new romantic

nineties: Movie-set glamour
Now: Anything goes, but tonal arrangements in one colour are popular, as are geometric shapes. If you want multicoloured use several different colours of the same flower. But it is now possible to pick and choose, mix and match from past styles.