JANUARY- The Carnation
Carnation flowers are a common flower used for ceremonial events and symbolism. According to Christian legend, carnations first appeared on Earth as Jesus carried the Cross. The Virgin Mary shed tears at Jesus’ plight, and carnations sprang up from where her tears fell. Thus the pink carnation became the symbol of a mother’s undying love, and in 1907 was chosen by Ann Jarvis as the emblem of Mother’s Day, now observed in the United States and Canada on the second Sunday in May. Coming mainly in shades of white, red and pink, the carnation was once used as a ceremonial crown in certain events of Ancient Greek Society. The carnation is a long time favourite for cutting and adding to certain home floral arrangements and bouquets.
FEBRUARY- The Iris
Iris express peace of mind, Friendship, Faith, Hope, and Wisdom.
Iris is a genus of flowering plants with showy flowers that takes its name from the Latin word for rainbow. There are many species of Iris, widely distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone. Their habitats are very varied and range from cold regions into the grassy slopes, meadowlands, stream banks and deserts of Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa, Asia and across North America. Elevation is of not much importance.
MARCH- The Daffodil
Daffodils, the flower symbolizing friendship, are one of the most popular flowers exclusively due to their unmatched beauty. Daffodils belong to the genus Narcissus. Daffodil flowers have a trumpet-shaped structure set against a star-shaped background
Often the trumpet is in a contrasting colour from the background. The name Daffodils includes the cluster-flowered yellow Jonquils and the White Narcissi.
Daffodils are native mainly to the Mediterranean region, in particular to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Northern Africa and the Middle East.
APRIL- The Daisy
The Daisy is the flower bringer of good fortune and blissful pleasure.
It is thought that the name “daisy” is a corruption of “day’s eye”, because the whole head closes at night and opens in the morning.
The most common characteristic of all these plants, is that what in common dialect might be called a “flower”, is an inflorescence or flower head; a densely packed cluster of many small, individual flowers, usually called florets (meaning “small flowers”). Often considered a weed on lawns, though many also value the appearance of the flowers. Several cultivars and hybrids have been selected with much larger flower heads up to 5-6 cm diameter and with light pink to purple-red ray florets.
MAY-Lily of the Valley
Lily can mean many things including purity, majesty, beauty, sweetness and humility. The stems grow to 15-30 cm tall, with one or two leaves (10-25 cm long), flowering stems have two leaves and 5-15 flowers on the stem apex. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, and sweetly scented; flowering is in late spring, in mild winters in early March. The flower is also known as Our Lady’s tears since, according to Christian legend, the tears Mary shed at the cross turned to Lilies of the Valley. Traditionally, Lily of the Valley is sold in the streets of France on May 1. Lily of the Valley became the national flower of Finland in 1967.
JUNE- The Rose
Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. ‘Rose’ means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish). The rose is the national flower of England and the United States. Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are sometimes made into jam, jelly and marmalade or brewed for tea, mainly for their vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce oil used in skin products.
JULY- The Larkspur
Larkspurs have laughter and relaxation energy, much like people born in July. The flower has five petals that grow together to form a hollow flower with a spur at the end, which gives the plant its name. The seeds are small and shiny black. The plant was connected to Saint Odile and in popular medicine used against eye-diseases. It was one of the herbs used on the feast of St. John and us such warded against lightning. In Transylvania, it was used to keep witches from the stables, probably because of its blue colour.
AUGUST- The Gladiolus
The flower of the Gladiators. Strength of character, sincerity, generosity, are traits symbolized in the Gladiolus.
The genus Gladiolus comprises 260 species, 250 of which are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. The impressive flower spikes of Gladioli come in a wide array of beautiful colours. Gladiolus flowers open beginning at the base of the spike and continue upward. The Gladiolus flower signifies remembrance. It also expresses infatuation, telling the receiver that he or she “pierces the heart”.
SEPTEMBER- The Aster
The word Aster is of Greek derivation and refers to the Star like flowers that can be white, red, pink, purple, lavender and blue, mostly with yellow centres. Asters are actually 1 – 1.5 – inch flowers. An Aster flower is actually a collection of very tiny tubular flowers, grouped together in a central disk, and surrounded by so-called ray flowers or petals, e.g., Sunflower. There are over 600 species of asters, the most popular being the Monte Casino. Ancient societies believed that the odour of its leaves, when burnt, drove away evil.
OCTOBER- The Marigold
Sacred affection is shown with the marigold.
A myth describing which seems to be creation of the marigold is mentioned in the story of Clytie and Apollo. The marigolds, genus Calendula L., are a genus of about 20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family, native to Mexico and Central America, the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia.
The leaves of this plant are 5-18 cm long, simple, and usually roughly hairy. The flower heads range from pale yellow to deep orange, and are 3-7 cm across, with both ray florets and disc florets. The petals of the Pot Marigold are spicy and are edible, added to dishes as a garnish.
NOVEMBER- The Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The flower was introduced into Japan probably in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a “Festival of Happiness” in Japan that celebrates the flower.
Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia. Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery from influenza. Chrysanthemum plants have been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by the NASA Clean Air Study.
DECEMBER- The Poinsettia
The December birth flower is the Poinsettia, which equals celebration, success, reassurance, and good cheer
A Mexican legend explains how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God’s eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.
