A Rose By Any Name
Valentine’s Day will soon be here so in this issue we will be discussing the rose. It is the most popular and well known of all flowers. Each colour represents a different theme
Red: A very close friendship, love “I Love You”
Pink: Grace, gentle feelings of love and friendship
Dark Pink: Gratitude
Light Pink: Admiration, sympathy
White: Innocence, purity, secrecy, friendship, reverence and humility.
Yellow: Often akin to joy and deep friendship or platonic love. In German speaking countries, however, they can mean jealousy and infidelity.
Yellow with red tips: Friendship, falling in love
Orange: Passion
Burgundy: Beauty
Blue: Mystery
Further information: blue rose
Green: Calm
Black: used to signify death (black being the color of death) often of old habits. In a positive light it signifies rebirth after death. Also, slavish devotion (as a true black rose is impossible to produce).
Purple: protection (paternal/maternal love.
FACT: The US Greeting Card Association estimates that a billion valentines are sent worldwide each year and that 85% of these are purchased by women.
Making Those Roses Last
When you receive roses you want them to last as long as possible. To help with this goal you need to follow these six steps.
1) If you have roses and greens wrapped and you want to arrange them in a vase, the first step is to get a bowl of warm water, and with a sharp knife slice the ends slantwise under water. You do it this way for two reasons. Cutting slantwise ensures that the opening is big enough to draw water, as they drink a lot, and cutting under water ensures that the cut end doesn’t get an air pocket blocking them from drinking.
2) For best results put them in a vase of warm water and a package of flower food and if possible refrigerate for 2 hours. You’ll want them to drink well. Note, if you don’t have flower food, you can use a spoon of sugar and a few drops of bleach. The bleach will kill bacteria in the water.
3) Before you place your roses in a vase, Take each rose stem and take off the leaves that may be below the water line, but don’t take them all off because the greens contribute to the overall look of the arrangement.
4) Now the next step goes against what most florists will tell you. If at all possible, if the thorns are not too big, I suggest you do not take them off. The reason for this is that it causes the rose stem to be wounded. This leaves them open to bacteria and they’ll wilt quicker. If you have to take some of them off then take your thumb, put it on the side of the thorn and pop it off. This is the least invasive way to get them off.
5) Change the water daily.
6) If an arrangement has arrived to you already made, then you need to change the water daily, feed them and do a fresh cut on the bottom. Check to see if any leaves are below the water line and remove.
Have A Happy Valentines Day.