Valentine’s Day - Say what you feel with flowers
Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day cannot be ignored. Every year, on the 14th February, flowers, cards and candy are sent and received. Each one expresses hopeful messages of love and special sentiments of friendship.
The mysterious history of this yearly ritual relating to the martyred St Valentine extends way back, to before Shakespearean sonnets and Jane Austen's classical romances.
But here at Pause:Read:Engage, we have embraced the spirit of the day and made it easy for you to surpass Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy and Emily Bronte’s Heathcliff. We bring you the subtle and beautiful ‘language of flowers’ to help you with your declarations of love and friendship.
Say what you feel with Roses
Rose are the obvious and classic flower of choice to accompany a Valentine’s message or poem, but you might need to brush up on their colour meanings.
A romantic start begins with red roses – a simple and clear way to say, ‘I love you.’
If you want to focus on the purity and innocence of your love, then white roses gently express, ‘I am the one for you.’
Orange or coral roses, with their passionate hue, boldly declare. ‘I want you in my life.’
When it comes to suggestions of intimacy, then a bunch of peach coloured roses is what is called for.
For gentler messages of friendship on Valentine’s Day, pink roses are the perfect way to say ‘Thank you’ to a friend you want to honour.
Yellow roses always suggest a caring friendship and that you love having that person around you.
Say what you feel with Ranunculi
These colourful blossoms, with their layers of silky, paper thin petals, come in a range of soft and bright paint box colours. Their meaning is clear and well suited to this delicate flower.
If your Valentine’s message is to portray, ‘You are charming and attractive,’ then there is no better way to say that than with a bunch of ranunculi. The flower’s symbolism transcends cultures and generations. The recipient of such a bunch of flowers will easily be wooed by their radiant charm.
Say what you feel with Gerbera Daisies
Gerberas are the royalty of daisies. Bold, bright and colourful, they are known for symbolising beauty, innocence and purity.
The Victorian meaning of the gerbera daisy is ‘happiness.’
The Celts believed that the gerbera would lessen the sorrows and stresses of everyday life.
These cheerful beauties are always a winner and are native to South Africa. The playfulness of gerberas is an ideal option for celebrating Valentine’s Day.
However Valentine's Day may make you feel, or however you want to share your feelings on Valentine’s Day, the best way to say it is with flowers.
All you might need to do is find a way to poetically pen the words, ‘Be my Valentine.’ But perhaps Wordsworth, Keats or Shakespeare could help you with that.
For more floral inspiration, please read The magic of a flower shop on the Porch at Pause:Read:Engage