Flower of the Month

Flowers have been used to express feelings and convey sentiments for centuries. The Chinese flower language was very extensive. Each flower and foliage had a meaning, when combined in various assortments, a complete message was sent. Eventually this language found it's way to the Ottoman Empire. Selam,as it was called by the Turks, was used exclusively by the Turkish harems. By the early 1700's this flowery language found it's way to France then on to Victorian England and to a more popular everyday use. Today, Florigraphy as it was called, has seen a revival of interest, but with scientific advancements in propagation and color enhancements, both natural and man-made, most meanings are now more generic to botanical types not color. For example the rose and carnation have become the most manipulated flowers in the botanical world. Red, yellow, pink, white and bi-colors were the choices of the day, but today with genetically altered colors we have cream to black with a myriad of shades and hues in between. Today all roses signify love and the carnation, steadfastness.
With flowers having so much meaning through the centuries it's not surprising to find that there is a Floral Zodiac. Each sign of the zodiac has it's own special flowery symbol and it's own mythical attributes.
The Flower of the Month, January, The Carnation.

The carnation was used by Romans and other cultures in funerary rites. The fragrance and colors kept evil at bay and bore the deceased to the after-life. Today, the carnation is still one of the most popular flowers for sympathy designs. According to legend the pink carnation grew from the ground wherever the Virgin Mary's tears fell along the road to Calvary while following Jesus to his crucifixtion. This is why the pink carnation symbolizes a mother's love and is representative of Mother's Day. The Dianthus (French-carnations) or Pinks as they were known, were used in Victorian wedding bouquets to symbolize everlasting love. The Carnation is synonymous with steadfastness, industriousness, security, and tenacity. Under the zodiac those born in January are driven and hard-working. They are empathetic, caring, faithful, and dependable. The are drawn to saturated, dark colors, especially to shades of purple. For that special birthday or new arrival in January may we suggest a fanciful design of fragrant carnations? Visit our website