Clare Florist Blog

The Clare Florist prize draw winner for June was Ms J Morgan.
A beautiful bouquet of flowers worth £50 will be delivered free with our very best wishes.

Send lovely fresh summer flowers throughout the UK, next day and without any fuss - Clare Florist.

`O Tiger-lily,' said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, `I wish you could talk!'

(Taken from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll)

Like Alice, I've always liked the idea of flowers being able to understand when we whisper to them. Many who are passionate about plants would admit to fully believing in the power of communicating with them on a daily basis. My own mother is one of them, having always experienced sensing emotions from plants, recalling memories such as magnolia flowers appearing when they were not in flowering season like a farewell present for her,  and carnations which would stay open for that few extra days when she talks to them more.

In fact this idea of emotions in plants originated in 1848, proposed by Dr. Gustav Theodor Fechner who was a German professor. The idea was that plants and human share the common properties of central nervous system and emotions, and thus human should be able to relate to plants by talking (if only plants have vocal abilities too!). This idea was followed up many years later by Luther Burbank who hypothesised telepathic capabilities for plants.

While there is no way to prove this empirically,  and indeed there has been limited success even in trying to show that talking to plants can improve their growth at all, we at least know that plants can communicate with each other. Past studies have shown that certain plants are capable of emitting wound signals to their neighbours when being attacked by insects - so if they are able to communicate each other surely the possibility of them understanding humans cannot be ruled out?

Sceptics may argue that stories of talking flowers could easily be interpreted as simple coincidences, or at least valid scientific explanations can be given as to why these cases may happen - e.g. carbon dioxide in human breath would aid the growth of plants, or the extra attention given to flowers through the process of talking to them would have made the owner more observant about their conditions.

Whether for scientific reasons or for the sake of holding onto wonderland beliefs of magical flowers, there is certainly no harm in talking to your flowers and trying to understand their language. So next time you see one of your flowers looking particularly sad or lonely,  have a little chat with her and see if she can feel the extra affection!

`We can talk,' said the Tiger-lily: `when there's anybody worth talking to.'

Prepared by Tracy, posted by Bob.

Have you ever thought about how flowers come to be symbolic of various themes, and how these themes came to be in existence in the first place?

This is going to be the first in a series of blog entries looking into the myths and legends behind some of the most well-known flowers.

As the flower most artists and poets agreed upon as having a soul, we will begin with the lily.

According to Greek mythology, the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus was nursing her son Hercules when excess milk fell from the sky. Not only did this created the Milky Way, but a few drops also made their way to earth, from which sprang the first lilies. This may be the inspiration for the Greek poets choice of lily as a symbolism for tenderness.

Roman legends also suggested that Venus became jealous of the whiteness and beauty of a lily and thus caused the appearance of the hideous looking pistil in the middle of the flower's pure white center.

Moreover the recognition of lilies as a symbol for purity and chastity originated in Christianity, where white lilies were said to have be found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Christ's crucifixion from where drops of Christ's sweat fell to the ground from the cross.

Another legend said that lilies grew from tears of repentence which were shed by Eve when she left the Garden of Eden. Lilies were also commonly associated with the Virgin Mary and the Annunciation, commonly illustrated in scenes of the angel's visit to Mary. The lily represents the Annunciation, emblematising her body as the white petals, and the soul as the anther.

Inspired to decorate your home or send your love with some beautiful white lilies? I think these would be my personal favourites!

• Calming Callas
• Simply Lilies
• Longi Lilies

Prepared by Tracy, posted by Bob

Following on from my last post on edible flowers (thank you for the correction), here is some information  on the specific medicinal uses of various flowers.

Some of these are consumed in the form of flower tea or in essence form, whilst others are applied externally.

More information on flower and plants as skin treatment (including some recipes) can be found here or for more detail on the medicinal uses of wild flowers - here.

This entry and the Clareflorist page prepared by Tracy,  posted by Bob

Prepared by Viki, posted by Bob

I know that we are well into June now, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I am afraid these items have not been posted as early as I would have liked – but you know what they say... better late than never!

Anyway, I hope you find this introduction interesting...!

Some basic facts relating to June

• The Flower for June is the Rose, as a symbol of beauty, passion and love - there is also a possible link with where the word “June” came from (please see “June Weddings” below).
• The Birthstone for June is the Pearl
• Star Signs: Those born in June will either be: Gemini (until 20 June) or Cancer (21st until the end of June)
  

  June Weddings

  The name “June” came from the Roman goddess of marriage, Junno. Due to this, June has traditionally been seen as the best month to have a wedding.

  To back this up, a very short poem from folklore:

  Married in the month of roses – June, Life will be one long Honeymoon.

  Anyway, watch this space for more!

  Prepared by Viki, posted by Bob

The history of Father's Day is nowhere near as well established as Mother's Day (which goes back 1000's of years), Father's Day goes back only as far as 1909. The thing it does have in common is it was the creation of a strong-hearted American woman. It can be on a different date each year – much like Mother's Day, and also has the similarity of always being on a Sunday. Father's Day always falls on the third Sunday of June.

Father's Day problems

It's true, buying a present or celebrating Mother's Day is much easier than for Father's Day. Unless your Father has a particular interest/hobby such as fishing or reading, or whatever most people find that it is very difficult to buy for your father. A lot of  people I have found in this situation go for elaborate gadgets which obviously get more and more technical and expensive each year. But is it the present that is really important? I mean my Dad's main interest is watching the TV, and as he already has one of those (in each room) that is not an option. I have also found that I am certainly not by any means alone in this situation.

Father's Day  - Memories versus Gadgets

Although too late for this year (although if you have yet to give your Dad a present, or if the weather can be blamed!), here are possible ideas for next year (from real Dad's):

(Taken from www.bitsnstuff.co.uk)

Anyway, that's me for now. Again, I am only sorry this did not come earlier – but I hope it has given least some of you something to think about.

By For Now!  Prepared by Viki, posted by Bob.

Some trivia facts about Father's Day:

• Majority of countries around the world celebrate Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June.

• The first June Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. This was inspired by the establishment of Mother's Day in 1908.

• Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd was believed to have originated the June Father's Day, which she had set up in order to commemorate her father who reared his six children as a single parent.

• Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million in card sales!

• Father's Day has evolved into something much more than just for honouring fathers - it has become the day for showing our appreciation for grandfathers, uncles, godfathers, father-in-laws, son-in-laws etc also! 

It would be so easy to opt for default choice Father's Day presents such as ties and gadgets, but if it's time for a change how about sending a delicately designed botanical arrangement? While perhaps not all men appreciate receiving a bouquet of flowers as gift, this arrangement seems like a perfect choice for an unconventional Father's Day present, combining masculinity with sentiments. (Also comes with complimentary bar of Thornton's chocolate with fudge pieces for dads with a sweet tooth!)

See our Fathers Day Basket

Ordering this is a great option particularly for those who live some distance away from their parents or even just as a surprise delivery for those who will be spending the day with them!

Prepared by Tracy, posted by Dave.

For a touch of exoticism in your daily meals, why not try adding some flowers to brighten up the dish, or petals to add some interesting flavours?

As long as the flowers are free of pesticides/chemicals, here are a handful of common flowers which can be used in food or cocktails:

• Borage - tiny blue flowers with slight cucumber flavour, eaten raw in salads.
• Chrysanthemum - for herbal tea or salads, Asian variety 'Shungiku' also used for stir fries.
• Fuscias - used for salads and as a garnish with fish, chicken or grilled vegetables.(This turns out to be incorrect - please do not use the petals of fuschia for eating - please see the attached comment for more details.)
• Lavender - can be used to flavour jelly, icecream, baked goods and grilled meat.
• Hibiscus - mild flavour, good for decorating and adding flavour to salads.
• Pot Marigolds - petals can be used for salad, citrus flavoured.
• Pansies - with sweet, tart flavour, can be candied or used straight for salads
• Roses - petals with slight fruity flavour, can be used for rosewater or in food preparation. Rose hips(below petals) are sour and can be used in infusions.

Be careful though..some are not to be eaten!

Some popular cut flowers are poisonous to eat and these include Calla Lilies, Delphinium, Hyacinth, Iris, Narcissus (Daffodils and Jonquils), Poppy and Tulips.

Edible flower storage

Long-stem edible flowers should be placed in water and stored in a cool place, whilst short-stem flowers can be layered between damp towels or stored loosely in a plastic bag and refrigerated.

Some inspiring flower recipes can be found here on the BBC website.

And for a more comprehensive listing of flower flavours.

First article by our new writer Tracy, posted by Bob

After recently receiving some customer requests we have increased the range of message cards available for delivery with beautiful fresh summer flowers in the UK from Clare Florist.

Onto these cards we print the customers personalised message and it is then delivered with the flowers.

The range has been increased by adding some relating to the birth of baby girls and boys, more flower images, balloons and so forth.

Why not send some flowers now and see the complete range !