Flower Meanings

Before we start, here is a personal note from the blog founder, writer and editor:
"Hi guys, Sorry for not posting anything in a while. We have all been very busy in all of our shops due to having a refit and move around in Secret Garden Cliftonville and have also been very busy with the wedding season which is upon us. So, I haven't had the time to sit down and think about writing on the blog. Although, I have been previously been asked by several of my dear friends to get some knowledge together (mine and also a little bit of help from Google too!) and find out some of the different meanings of flowers that we use in our shops on a daily basis. So, the next time you are thinking of sending some flowers to a loved one, you can even send them a secret message along with the flowers due to their meanings. I hope you enjoy the post and hopefully we will be posting on here a bit more often. Thank you, Kayleigh."

Flowers are part of the most important occasions in all of our lives. We normally present them on birthdays, funerals, weddings, etc. There are even some flowers that can have religious significance too. So most people tend to know the meanings of rose colours and which is the appropriate one to send on certain occasions (If you don't know I will recap towards the end of this post) but meanings with flowers aren't just associated with roses but with a lot of other flowers too.
Here are a few meanings of flowers for you to make it a little bit more special the next time you send some flowers:

Alstromeria- aka the Peruvian lily: The Alstromeria is a symbol of wealth, prosperity, devotion and fortune. It can also be the flower of friendship.





Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)- The Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) is a symbol of pride, determination and splendid beauty but it can also be used to indicate worth beyond beauty.









Anemone- The Anemone has two meanings which can be taken either way so be careful with this one just in case. On the darker side it can be used to indicate fading hope and a feeling of having been forsaken. But on the brighter note it can symbolise anticipation.







Anthurium- The Anthurium can symbolise hospitality. It is also used to indicate happiness and abundance.








Aster- The Aster symbolises patience. It is also indicative of a love of variety. It also symbolises elegance and daintiness.







Bird of Paradise (Heliconia)- The Heliconia symbolises joyfulness. It can also symbolise magnificence. The Bird of Paradise can also indicate exciting and wonderful anticipation.






Bouvardia- The Bouvardia normally is used to symbolise enthusiasm. It can also be used to indicate the zest for life.








Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)- The Calla Lily can symbolise magnificence and beauty. The white Calla's combine these two attributes with purity and innocence which are associated with the colour white. With these attributes in mind it helps to make it one of the perfect choices for a wedding bouquet.





Carnation (Dianthus)- The Carnation has several different meanings but they normally do symbolise pride and beauty. A red Carnation- love, pride and admiration, a pink Carnation-the loves of a woman/mother, a purple Carnation- capriciousness, a yellow Carnation- disdain, rejection or disappointment and a white Carnation- innocence and pure love. A stripped Carnation conveys refusal.





Chrysanthemum- The Chrysanthemum has several meanings but they normally do symbolise fidelity, optimism, joy and long life. A red Chrysanthemum- love, a white Chrysanthemum- truth and loyal love, a yellow Chrysanthemum- slighted love.





Daffodil- The Daffodil has several meanings. It symbolises regard and chivalry. It is also indicative of rebirth, new beginnings and eternal life. It can also symbolise unrequited love. A single Daffodil foretells a misfortune but a bunch of Daffodils can indicate joy and happiness.





Daisy- The Daisy symbolises innocence and purity it also conveys loyal love. The Gerbera daisy (further down in list) is normally used to symbolise cheerfulness.

Delphinium- The Delphinium has several meanings. It can symbolise big hearted-ness, fun, lightness, ardent attachment.







Freesia- The Freesia symbolises innocence, thoughtfulness and friendship.










Gerbera- The Gerbera which belongs to the Daisy family also has the same symbolism's as the Daisy. It specifically conveys cheerfulness.






Gladiolus- The Gladiolus can symbolise strength of character, faithfulness and Honor. It can also be used to symbolise remembrance.









Hyacinth- The Hyacinth symbolises playfulness and a sporty attitude due to its extreme rashness. Hyacinth's also denote constancy. The blue Hyacinth normally stands for constancy whereas the purple is used for sorry, red or pink for play, white for loveliness and yellow for jealousy.







Hydrangea- The Hydrangea has several meanings. They can symbolise heartfelt emotions and can also be used to express gratitude for being understood. It does however have a negative side which can be used to symbolise frigidity and heartlessness.






Iris- The Iris normally symbolises eloquence. The purple Iris is symbolic of wisdom and compliments, blue- faith and hope, yellow- passion and white- purity.









Lily- The Lily is used to symbolise purity and refined beauty. The white lily symbolises modesty, sympathy and virginity, orange- passion, yellow- gaiety and pink-wealth and prosperity. While those are the meanings of the Asiatic and Oriental lilies are mentioned above, the Longiflorum (The Easter lily) is the symbol of the Virgin Mary and the Lily of the Valley symbolises sweetness and purity of the heart. It is also the flower to be used to celebrate the 2nd year wedding anniversary.





Orchid- The Orchid is the symbol of the exotic beauty. It can also be used to symbolise refinement, thoughtfulness and mature charm. It also does however symbolise proud and glorious femininity.






Peony- The Peony has several different meanings. It can be used to symbolise bashfulness, compassion, a happy life, happy marriage, good health, prosperity and can also be used  to express either indignation or shame.




Ranunculus- The Ranunculus can be used to symbolise radiant charm. It also can give off the message that "you are radiant with charm" or "you are attractive".









Rose- The Rose is normally used to symbolise love. It signifies love in various ways. This is normally due to the colour. See the picture opposite for rose colour meanings.


Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)- The Antirrhinum is used to symbolise graciousness and strength. It does however have a negative side which can be used to symbolise deception and presumption.

Statice (Limonium)- The Limonium can be used to symbolise remembrance, sympathy and success.










Stock (Matthiola)- The Matthiola symbolises lasting beauty, happy life and promptness. It can also be used to indicate bonds of affection.










Sunflower (Helianthus)- The Helianthus has several different meanings. It can be used to symbolise pure thoughts, adoration, dedication, dedication of love and can also be used to symbolise haughtiness.






Sweet Pea (Lathyrus Odoratus)- The Sweet Pea can be used to indicate delicate pleasure and bliss. It can also be used to symbolise departure after having a good time.









Tulip- The Tulip signifies a declaration of love, fame and perfect love.

Referances:
https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/flower-meanings
https://www.google.co.uk

November, December and General Updates

Sorry we have not posted in a while, we have all been very busy in all of our shops and its been difficult to try and get the time to sit down and write a new blog post. But don't worry! we will be posting more from now on as I have plenty of new ideas for our blog. This post for now though is just general news and keeping you updated and in the know!

November Houseplant of the month:

 Speciality Orchids

Speciality Orchids are the houseplant of the month for November! These wonderful plants come in a range of eye-catching shapes, colours and flowers that the general public are not yet familiar with. Within the orchidaceae family, Phalaenopsis is the original orchid that introduced the public to the exotic beauty of orchids. However there are over 28,000 accepted species of orchids which many are very easy to care for. These luscious Orchids fit so well into the current interior trends and add a bit of mystery due to their supernaturally amazing shapes.

November Birth flower:
Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums which are sometimes referred to as mums or chrysanths and flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Most of the Chrysanthemum species originate from East Asia. There are countless of different varieties and cultivars. The name Chrysanthemum is taken from the ancient Greek words 'Chrysos' meaning gold and 'Anthemon' meaning flower. Chrysanthemums are considered to be very long lasting and come in a lovely range of colours. People normally use Chrysanthemum's to symbolise: Compassion, friendship and joy. Some symbolise with colours to, Red is for love, white means innocence and yellow denotes unrequited love. So why not pop in and grab some and show someone how much you love them?

December Houseplant of the month:

Azalea's

Azalea's are the houseplant of the month for December! Whether these wonderful plants are snow white, luscious red, beautiful purple or shocking pink, The one thing that all Azalea's have in common is that they are a top best seller and are absolutely delightful. That is why this profuse bloomer is December's houseplant of the month. Due to this plant being in the classic December colours the Azalea is an original alternative for creating a great atmosphere. The official name for Azalea is Rhododendron Syn, Azalea. Rhododendron is loosely taken from the Greek words for 'Red' and 'Tree'  and freely translated means 'a woody plant with rose red flowers' and Azalea means 'dry' in Greek which refers to the tough wood of the plant.


December Birth flower:
Poinsettia

The Poinsettia (Euphorbia) is an important plant species of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage even though it can come in a variety of different colours. They are widely used in Christmas floral arrangements but can buy them in many supermarkets as a plant. The name Poinsettia derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Minister to Mexico and introduced the plant to the US in 1825.

Updates:
Ramsgate Shop:

Just a quick update about our Ramsgate shop if you didn't already know. We have recently said goodbye to our loving Ramsgate shop as we have recently sold it on. But not all is bad! One of our members of staff who used to work in our Cliftonville shop- Sammi, was the lady who brought it from us. We know it has gone into great hands and wish her all the best. For now it will keep its name The Secret Garden Florist but it will/may change in the future. This was just a quick update to let you know it is no longer with the rest of The Secret Garden shops and is run independently now.

DIY! How to make a poly ribbon bow

Here is a quick DIY for you guys. Just follow these instructions on how to make a poly ribbon bow.

What you will need:

• Scissors- Any kind will do but the ones I'm using are florist scissors.
• Roll of Poly Ribbon- Any colour will do, one I'm using is navy blue. Poly ribbon is available in most craft shops or florists.
• Wire- If you are going to use a bow in an arrangement then you will need to have some wire at the ready. You can get wire from any florist shop or online mostly.

Step 1:

I start off by grabbing my roll of poly ribbon and reel off a long length roughly about 30-50cm.This will be used for tying our bow together. I then cut off that length. 

Step 2:

Once you have cut off that length, then start to tear off a smaller thickness of the poly ribbon from the top all the way down. Its good to tear the top bit and follow it all the way down by using your finger. Once you have done this you should have a smaller thickness length and a bigger bit. (The smaller thickness ribbon we will be using to tie our large poly ribbon bow.)

Step 3:

I then grab the roll of poly ribbon, reel a decent length off and then proceed to make my bow. To start the first loop you hold the end of the poly ribbon in your hand and make a loop so it crosses over the start of the ribbon like so: 

Step 4:

I then follow this round and create another loop which ends up overlapping our first loop in the middle like so: 

Step 5:

I then proceed to create another set of loops. This step is easier to do if you point the top of the bow towards you. create your first loop by folding it back on itself. Create the second loop by looping it forward so it crosses back over the middle again. the overall look should be like the last picture. You can either have two sets of loops or continue on as many times as you like. I have done three sets of loops so just carry on and make another set.

Step 6:

Once you have created your bow, proceed to pinching together the middle of the bow. This makes it easier to tie. Once you have pinched the middle of the bow with your free hand grab the smaller thickness bit of poly ribbon that you cut earlier and knot it around the bow to keep its shape. (I normally tie this by using my pinky on my free hand and my mouth as it is better to keep the bow pinched until it has been securely tied).

Finished product:

Once I have cut the reel of poly ribbon away from the bow, I cut the two tails of the bow at an angle to make the bow look extra special, You can have the tails as long or as short as you would like. 

This is what the bow looks like from the front and the back once completed:

If you are going to use your bow in an arrangement then just proceed the steps above but do a slightly smaller bow with only one set of loops and just use a wire to wrap around the bow to secure it instead. Like so:

Here are the two bows together for a comparison:

Here is a short video of us making a bow as well just in case:

Hope you have enjoyed this DIY :) Don't forget to subscribe to our blog so you don't miss out on our lovely updates and behind the scenes. Also follow us on our social medias too for more flower delight!