Valentine's Day Trivia

Did you know there are at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus? One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome during Emperor Claudius ll reign.  Claudius thought single men made better soldiers and he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Just before his death, it is said that Valentine penned a letter to his jailer's blind daughter signed "from your Valentine" 

Did you know the origins of Valentine's Day are rooted in a pagan festival in Feburary?  Celebrated at the ides of February 15th, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. At the end of the 5th century Pope Gelasius delared February 14th St. Valentine's Day to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial, which probably occurred around A.D. 270.  Much later, the day became definitively associated with love. 

Here a few more fun facts about Valentine's Day and the Rose, the flower that symbolizes love

* The ancient Romans also celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the goddess of women        and marriage.    

* The origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve" came from the Middle Ages tradition      of young men and women drawing a name from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine and              pinning it onto their sleeve for on week.

* in 1537 England's Kin Henry Vll officially declared Feb. 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day

* Other countries that celebrate Valentine's Day are Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia,    Denmark, and Italy       

* in 1986 President Ronald Regan signed legislation making the rose the official National flower of the          United States.  

* Casanova, "The World's Greatest Lover" ate chocolate to make him virile. (We've got award winning        chocolate truffles from Posh Chocolate for you virility:)   

* Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S. 

* More that 35 million heart-shaped boxes will sell during the Valentine Holiday

* More than 189 million stems of roses re-sold in the U.S. for Valentine's Day

* Approximately 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, 27% are women.

* Approximately 15% off U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

* Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives,                       sweethearts and pets      

* About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets

* Red roses are considered the flower of love, they are the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman                goddess of love     

* Shakespeare referred to roses over fifty times in his works

CALL THE FLOWER SHOP & GIFTS TODAY TO PLACE YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY ORDER 1-406-323-4066

" GATHER THE ROSE OF LOVE WHILST YET IS TIME" ~ Edmund Spenser

Poinsettia Care and Facts

Did you Know?

• Poinsettias are native to Mexico.....Feliz Navidad :)
• The Aztecs called the poinsettia Cuetlaxochitl.  During the 14th - 16th century the sap was used to control fevers and the bracts (modified leaves) were used to make a reddish dye.
•  Ninety percent of all poinsettias are exported from the United States.
• Some people may have skin irritation from the milky sap
• In nature, poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow to ten feet tall---I would like to see that someday 
• Poinsettias were introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett

How to care for a Poinsettia 

The length of time your poinsettia will give you pleasure in your home is dependent on:  the maturity of the plant, when and where you buy it, and how you treat the plant. With care, poinsettias should retain their beauty for weeks and some varieties will stay attractive for months. Try to buy from a greenhouse or florist where they have been properly tended to.  Poinsettias at big box and grocery stores have generally been stressed out which will shorten their life. 

•  Place in indirect light. Six hours of light daily is ideal. Keep the plant from touching cold windows.
• Keep poinsettias away from warm or cold drafts from radiators, air registers or open doors and windows.
• Ideally poinsettias require daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F and night time temperatures around 55°F. High temperatures will shorten the plant’s life. Move the plant to a cooler room at night, if possible.
• Check the soil daily. Be sure to punch holes in foil so water can drain into a saucer. Water when soil is dry. Allow water to drain into the saucer and discard excess water. Wilted plants will tend to drop bracts sooner.
• Fertilize the poinsettia if you keep it past the holiday season. Apply a houseplant fertilizer once a month. Do not fertilize when it is in bloom.

Enjoy your holiday Poinsettia   Merry Christmas!

Montana State Butterfly

Did you know Montana's state butterfly is the Mourning Cloak? The beautiful Mourning Cloak became the state butterfly in 2001 under HB 365, sponsered by James Whitaker.  The Montana Federation of Garden Clubs Inc, and fifth graders throughout the state chose the Mourning Cloak, as it can be found in all 56 counties. 

Mourning cloaks belong to one of the larger families of butterflies -Nymphalis - known as "brush-footed butterflies" because of their small, hairy, brushlike front legs. The common name "mourning cloak" refers to the wings resembling a traditional dark-colored cloak worn when one was in mourning.  They hibernate in the winter, but they come out occasionally during warming periods. They are often the first flitting butterflies to emerge in the spring, frequently before the winter snows have melted.  

The caterpillars feed in groups on the leaves of deciduous trees, including the willow, elm, cottonwood, poplar, rose, birch, and mulberry trees. They eat and grow, shedding their skin several times, and eventually leave the plant they've been feeding on. Once it finds just the right spot, the caterpillar will form a spiky gray chrysalis so that it can undergo metamorphosis to become a butterfly. After about ten to fifteen days, depending on the temperature, a new generation of mourning cloak butterflies emerge from their chrysalises.

The Old Lexington Gardens in Butte, Montana created a garden of flowers to mimic the Mourning Cloak state butterfly.

http://visitmt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=15323&siteid=1

Starlings

Did you know Starlings came to America on a passenger liner from Europe?

A wealthy drug manufacturer, named Eugene Schieffelin had the curious hobby of introducing into America all the birds mentioned in William Shakspere's writings. 

Originally one hundred of them were released into Central Park. now we have millions of starlings today. 

Rose: an aphrodisiac

Did you know the Rose is a mystical symbol of love and romance, and its oil is considered to be an aphrodisiac?   It takes the petals of 30 damask roses to make one drop of Rose Otto essential oil, or 10,000 lbs of roses petals to make 1lb of rose oil.

The romantic back story to how rose essential was discovered is, the Mogul prince, Jehangir, ordered roses to be floated in every canal running through the royal gardens to celebrate his wedding.  The heat of the sun separating the essential oil from the petals was observed by the bridal pair when rowing on the fragrant water and the oil clung to the princesses fingers when she trailed them in the water. The princesses' doting husband ordered the oil to be bottled as a tribute to her. Now that is romantic and would be an aphrodisiac to any woman.

Every culture has its own folklore and traditions associated with the rose. The most common lore about the creation of the rose is usually attributed to Flora, the goddess of spring and flowers. After one of her nymphs dies, Flora calls upon the gods to change her into a beautiful flower. Apollo gives her life; Bacchus gives her nectar; Vertumnus, a beautiful perfume; Pomona, a fruit; and Flora, a "crown" of petals. 

The Rose itself has become an indelible symbol of love and romance. Today over 180 million roses are sold in the United States and approximately 5 billion sold worldwide for the ultimate romantic holiday, Valentines Day.  

Flower of the Gods

Did you know the Carnation is the flower of the Gods?

The Carnation's botanical name is Dianthus caryophullus.  Dianthus comes from the Greek words dios, refering to the god Zeus and anthos, meaning flower.  Therefore, "the flower of the Gods".

It is with excellent reason that the Carnation is "The Flower of the Gods".  Carnations are truly one of the longest lasting cut flowers. They come in an amazingly diverse array of colors and some varieties are fragrant with the scent of cloves. 

Unfortunately, carnations have an undeserved poor reputation among consumers and florists alike.  Consumers have been told Carnations are cheap, they are not cheap but absolutely the most affordable flower for its many virtues.  Consumers have also associated Carnations with poorly constructed, tacky arrangements, which once more has devalued the Carnation in the eyes of the consumer.  Some florist only know how to put Carnations with daisies and babies breath in a triangular shaped arrangement with terrible color combination, such a crime for "The Flower of the Gods". 

I implore the consumers and florists alike to re-discover the Carnation.  Large Carnations, Variegated Carnations, Mini-Carnations, High Style arrangements, Wild Flower arrangements, Wedding Bouquets, Contemporary arrangements...."The Flower of the Gods" , so aptly named, is by far one of the most important flowers for today's conscience consumer and for the florist who is looking for a flower that can do it all.

Continue to read about the amazing "Flower of the Gods"...

Carnation is first mentioned in history with its use in garlands, worn by Greeks and Romans.  It's natural history is first thought to be recorded in 50 BC.  Carnations have been used medicinally to control fevers, expel poison, as a dye for black hair, and to flavor beer, ale and wine.

The name carnation may have been originated from the word coronation, or corone, which means flower garland.  Carnations were one of the first flowers used in ceremonial crowns in Greece.  The word "pink" is derived from a word meaning scalloped describing the shape of the edges of carnation petals (think pinking shears).

Carnations are an essential addition to cottage gardens and they are many varieties  from Sweet Williams to Cottage Pinks that will grow in your climate. They make wonderful cut flowers from your own garden and look super cute in little vintage containers. I especially love to put them in white ironstone pitcures and mix them with calendula, sage and salvia.  Makes such a cute little arrangement.