Flowers in Season: January 16-22

Forsythia

 Oleaceae Forsythia

image via wikipedia

Forsythia, native to East Asia and Southeastern Europe is named in honor of Scottish botanist Robert Forsyth. Forsyth was a royal head gardener and founding member of the Royal Horticulture Society.

Forsythia is a popular early spring shrub in gardens and parks.  It is a lovely branch that can be used in floral design, either alone or in arrangements.  They are prized for being tough, reliable garden plants.

Flowers in Season January 9-15

Carnation

 Dianthus

image via here

Carnations are one of the world's oldest cultivated flowers and thought to have originated in East Asia. The botanical name can be translated as "flower of the gods" as the Greek word "dios" means "divine" and "anthos" means flower. Some scholars believe that the name comes from the word "coronation," because the flowers were used in Greek ceremonial crowns.*

Different colors have different meanings:

Pink - Mother's love

Light Red - Admiration

Dark Red - Deep Love

White - Pure love & Good luck

*Excerpt from The Secret Language of Flowers by Samantha Gray

Flowers in Season January 1- 8

Snowdrop

Galanthus Nivalus

image via Flickr

Snowdrops, which originated in Switzerland and Austria, begin flowering in January and are a symbol of hopefulness and new beginnings, which makes them a perfect flower for the start of a new year. 

In German folklore, a snowdrop myth tells the tale of how God created all the things on Earth, but the snow was sad to find itself icily transparent and invisible. God told the snow to ask the flowers if they would give it some of their color. The snow asked each flower in turn and every one of them refused, leaving the snow sadder than ever. Finally, the snow asked a little white flowers, which agreed sweetly to let the snow have some of its pure whiteness. In perpetual gratitude, the snow allows its friend the snowdrop to be the first of the flowers to bloom each year.*

*excerpt from The Secret Language of Flowers by Samantha Gray

Flowers in Season December 25 - 31

Cyclamen

Via Garden World Images



The flower symbolism associated with cyclamen flowers is resignation and goodbye. This symbolism makes cyclamen especially appropriate for gifts for friends who are retiring or relocating. [2]

The most difficult thing to do is to say ‘goodbye’. Parting and separation are an integral part of life, yet, how often we cower away from the thought of saying goodbye to someone we love! At times such as these, offering a cyclamen often shows greater sentiment, a more valuable emotion than bombastic words of farewell. 

The cyclamen is one of the most popular Christmas plants in Europe, but it lost its place on the pedestal to the poinsettia here in the United States. Poinsettias may be the premier holiday plant, but if you are not growing cyclamen, too, you are missing out. [4]

Cyclamen is a genus of 23 species of perennials growing from tubers, valued for their flowers with up-swept petals and variably patterned leaves. Cyclamen species are native from Europe and the Mediterranean region east to Iran, with one species in Somalia. In most species, leaves come up in autumn, grow through the winter, and die in spring, then the plant goes dormant through the dry Mediterranean summer. [1]