January
The flower of the month for January is the carnation. Available in a variety of colors all year long, the carnation means many things. According to Christian legend, a pink carnation said to appeared when the Virgin Mary’s tear hit the ground when Jesus was carrying the cross, therefore the pink carnation represents a Mother’s undying love.
The May birth flower is the lily of the valley.
Lily of the valley has the flower meaning of humility, chastity, sweetness and purity. The delicate white blossoms of the lily of the valley bloom snugly between the broad leaves.
This May birth flower is a wonderfully fragrant and beautiful plant. The lily of the valley can be grown in shade or sun. It is commonly used in wedding bouquets because of its fragrance.
April’s birth flower is the daisy.
The daisy represents implicity and modesty. The Gerbera Daisy is a favorite because of the variety of colors and size of the blooms.
The gerbera plant blooms repeatedly and attracts bees, butterflies and birds.
The daffodil is March’s birth flower.
Daffodils have the flower meaning of rebirth, respect, regard and unrequited love. The daffodil is one of the first flowers of spring, therefore it is a symbol of rebirth and hope.
It grows from a bulb to a height of two feet producing a long-lasting, colorful, fragrant flower.
The violet is the flower for the month of February. The African Violet, Cape Primrose and the Common Violet are favorites.
The African Violet isn’t actually a true violet. It is one of the most common house plants today. They bloom year round, with single or double flowers. They produce pink, purple, blue, violet, rose or white flowers.
Common Violets are very hardy and are easily started from seed. It spreads very fast by dropping seeds and it produces pretty little flowers.
Violets prefer filtered shade, but in milder climates, with lots of water, they can survive in full sun.
The Carnation is a plant that originated in the Near East at least 2000 years ago. It was originally only found in the popular light pink color, however today it has been cultivated into many other colors including red, purple, green and yellow.
Some scholars believe that the name “carnation” comes from “coronation” or “corone” (it was one of the flowers used in Greek ceremonial crowns). Carnations are often worn on special occasions, especially MothersDay and weddings.
The carnation is available all year round and is a long lasting cut flower.