Bouvardia
Name: The flowers are named after Parisian doctor Charles Bouvard, personal physician to Louis XIII and director of the Jardin des Plantes.
Description: Bouvardia are certainly not common flowers. If you study them closely, you find loose clusters of tubular starlet flowers fringed with leaves and carried on tall stalks. Each stem, resembles a small bouquet in bright firework colours. They also have a faint delicate scent.
Origin: Native to Mexico. Introduced to the UK in 1854, but are chiefly grown in sub-tropical zones and under glass in Holland.
Colour: Shades of pinks and red as well as white.
Availability: All year round.
Family: Their closest relatives are the fabulously fragrant gardenias.
Varieties: They have wonderful names like 'Pink Luck', 'Royal Katty' and 'Albatross'.
Care Tips: Cut the stems at a slant with a sharp knife and don't forget to use the special flower food usually provided for bouvardia. They are particularly prone to water loss and should not be left out of water. If you do not have the special flower food, recut the stems frequently and remove excess foliage.
Carnation
Name: Dianthus, its botanical name, means divine flower. Carnation was the flesh-pink colour Elizabethan portrait painters used as a background wash.
Description: The carnation is available as a standard carnation - one large flower per stem, or a spray carnation with lots of smaller flowers.
Colour: Available in a huge range of colours, almost all except blue. A mauve carnation with a blue tinge has been developed by Florigene in Australia. But they look best in hot Latin shades of red, pink and orange.
Availability: All year round.
Varieties: New varieties have been bred which look like old-fashioned garden pinks, but in bright colours. They have daintier relatives, the fantastically fragrant Sweet Williams and Pinks.
Care Tips: Carnations can last up to three weeks but should be kept away from ripening fruit and vegetables becaise of ethylene gas.
Trivia:
Facts: Carnations are the UK's best-selling cut flower, by miles. They are an excellent cut-flower, great value, very long-lasting, Since the 1950's they have been frowned upon by the style gurus, but are now making a comeback.
Folklore: Used on mothering Sunday. In Canada you wear a red flower if your mother is alive or a white flower if your mother has died.
Language of Flowers: Red carnation for "alas for my poor heart", striped for refusal, yellow for disdain, pink for woman's love.
Crysanthemum
Name: Comes from the Greek "krus anthemon" meaning gold flower. However nowadays they come in all colours.
Origin: China and Japan. The Chinese who considered them the highest of flowers, named their royal throne after the flower.
Colour: All colours including bronze, lime green and brick red, except blue (which are artificially dyed for special events).
Availability: All year round
Varieties: "Mums" come in a range of shapes and sizes, including spiders, spoons, buttons and blooms. Blooms are normal chrysanthemum varieties which have undergone intensive and specialised growing care. Instead of letting the plant produce side shoots which would bear flowers, all these shoots are removed, leaving only one central stem. This is then similarly treated so that only one flower bud remains. All the energy of the plant is directed into this bud which then grows to a huge size. Blooms come in many different forms, just like dahlias. Some are tight petalled, with all the petals curling upwards. Some have petals which curve and twist like a huge feather hat.
Family: Relatives include chamomile, tansy, marguerite and matricaria.
Trivia:
Facts: The chrysanthemum is depicted on Japan's imperial weapon and flag. Japan also has a national festival devoted to the flower (9th Sept)
Mythology: Some countries (such as Malta) think it is unlucky to have the flower indoors. It is associated with funerals and All Saints Day. In Germany, people put white chrysanthemums in their homes at Christmas, to welcome baby Jesus.
Medicinal: Feng Shui adherents believe the chrysanthemum brings laughter and happiness to your home.
History: The chrysanthemum flower has been known since before 5000 BC in a small yellow form. Ancient China and Japan both have tales explaining how the chyrsanthemum originated.
Freesia
Name: After Dr Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, a German physician.
Facts: Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world, with over 110 million stems sold in the UK each year. In a recent F & PA survey over half the respondents rated them as one of their favourite flowers.
Availability: Although available all year their peak period is spring.
Origin: South Africa, first imported to Europe at the end of the 19th century.
Colour: Wide range including yellows, red, pinks and white.
Varieties: One of the nicest varieties is "Ballerina", which look like elegant dancers.
Family: Freesia belong to the Iridaceae family, including iris.
Care Tips: Buy them with at least one flower open on the stem. Make sure they have plenty of water and never let the stem ends dry out. Pinch out the topmost buds and remove the old flowerheads to encourage new ones to open. Keep away from fruit, vegetables, and excess heat, as they are very sensitive to the ethylene gas produced.
Trivia:
Facts: Unlike most other flowers, where the white forms smell most strongly, if you want highly scented freesia look for pink and red varieties.
History: Almost unknown until the 1950's it is now one of the UK's favourite flowers.
Name: Named after Traugott Gerber, a German doctor. Usually pronounced JUR-bra. Infrequently called Transvaal Daisy or Barberton Daisy.
Origin: South Africa (Transvaal and Cape Province)
Colour: Gerberas offer an incredibly wide range of colours with every colour except blue represented (including fashionable shades of buff and maroon).
Availability: All year round.
Family: Miniature gerbera (germinis) are available, as well as the standard size, and large headed types (bigger than your palm).
Varieties: There are over 200 varieties of gerbera and breeders have developed many variants from serrated or frilly petals to double flowers and extra wide petals. A new developement is the mini-gerbera or 'germini' which have the same wide choice of colours but are smaller and more appropriate for smaller flower arrangements.
Care Tips: Need warmth and bright light.
Trivia:
Zodiac: Associated with the star sign Leo
History: Little-known 20 years ago, but now extremely popular and fashionable. Gerbera were first imported to Europe in the 19th century.
Hyacinth
Name: The word hyacinth comes from the Greek Hyakinthos, a handsome young man who in Greek mythology was loved by the sun god Apollo. One day they were practising throwing the discus but the jealous god of the West Wind, who was also in love with Hyakinthos, blew the discus back and it fatally wounded him. From his blood grew a flower which the god Apollo named after him.
Origin: It was brought to Western Europe in the 16th century and was first cultivated in Austria in the 1500's. During the 17th and 18th centuries, like the tulip, it was to be found only in the collections of very rich flower collectors. Because of the hyacinth's pervasive perfume, the bulbs were exorbitantly expensive. The bulbs are now grown in Holland and Great Britain.
Colour: Usually white, pink, peach and blue. More unusual colours to look for include dark wine purples , rosy reds, navy, egg-yolk yellows and soft oranges.
Availability: November to April
Family: Hyacinthus orientalis belongs to the Liliaceae family and so grows from a bulb.
Varieties: Varieties come in all colours including pure white "Carnegie", salmon "Anna Marie", delicate pink " Splendid Cornelia" and baby blue "Delft Blue
Trivia:
Facts: Nowadays the cut flowers are sold with roots intact at the bottom to make the flowers last longer. Don't cut these off, but just give the stems a good rinse.
Hypericum
Name: Pronounced hy-PERRI-cum, common name St John's Wort.
Origin: Native to the Himalayas and China, the plant has been cultivated in the UK since 1594 originally for its medicinal properties but now also grown commercially for its ornamental berries.
Colour: Berries in shades of red, orange and brown as well as golden flowers like giant buttercups.
Variety: Hypericum has increased hugely in popularity over the past five years. Then there was only one general variety of hypericum widely sold. Now there are at least six or seven named varieties available, all with different characteristics.
Care Tips: Remove the leaves as these fade quickly and are not as ornamental as the berries.
Trivia:
Medicinal: Hypericum has also become better known for its medicinal properties. Under its common name, St John's Wort, hypericum is sold as a herbal antidepressant.
Lily
Name: Lilium candidum was the most significant flower symbol for Christians and suggested purity. As a symbol of purity associated with virgins it became known as the Madonna Lily.
Origin: One of the first descriptions of the lily dates from the Chinese Middle Ages "the plant flowers until late autumn and there are three types, red, yellow and purple".
Colour: Some forms (Lilium longiflorum, L. candidum, oriental lilies) are highly perfumed but white only; others (asiatic lilies) are highly coloured but scent-free
Availability: All year.
Care Tips: Remove the pollen stamens by pinching them together and pulling them up out of the flower. This prolongs the flower's life as well. Use sellotape to remove pollen, not water which will fix the stain.
Trivia:
Facts: Lilies have been cultivated for over 3000 years. Feng Shui believers hold the lily as an emblem of summer and abundance; to the Chinese, lily means "Forever in love". The lily was the holy flower of the ancient Assyrians. Until the 16th century the Madonna lily was the only garden variety known, because of this the "lilies of the field" as mentioned in the bible are thought to be this specific lily. A lily has adorned the coat of arms of the kings of France since 1179. King Chlodwig I allegedly received this 'fleur de lys', as it is called in heraldic language, from an angel. But in actual fact his flower wasn't a lily, as the name implies, but an iris. Via Louis XI the motif made its way to the coat of arms of the Medici family, and from there on to the arms of Florence and Tuscany. Interestingly, only the Florentine 'fleur de lys' has stamens like a lily.
Mythology: In Greek poetry, the lily stood for tenderness. It was also referred to as the voice of cicadas or of the muses. There is a Greek myth that tells us how the lily was born from the milk of the goddess Hera. The lily still symbolises pure, virginal love in the Christian world.
Medicinal: In the past, various flowers were used to prepare remedies in popular medicine. In China some served as lucky charms, while others were thought to be capable of averting the evil eye. In another historical account we read that people were interested in lilies for their anti-toxic powers and their capacity of curing depressions. In Europe, too, lilies were used as a remedy against a wide range of diseases and ailments right up to the beginning of the last century
Caution: Be aware that lilies can be highly poisonous to cats. Owners should be aware of this risk and keep their pets away from them.
Rose
Name: Botanical name Rosa
Origin: China and now cultivated from America to Africa and from Eastern Europe to the Far East.
Colour: Available in every colour except blue and true black.
Availability: All year round and probably the best known and best-loved flower in the world.
Varieties: For extra scented roses, look for 'Sterling Star' (lilac), 'Jacaranda' (blue-pink), 'Osiana' (peach-cream), 'Sterling Silver' (lilac) and 'Extase' (deep red).
Care Tips: Limp roses can be revived by standing up to their necks in lukewarm water in a cool room. Do not bash the stems as this prevents them taking up water effectively. Don't remove thorns unless for a hand-held posy, as these can cause wounds where bacteria can enter. They have a vase life of around a week but can last even longer.
Trivia:
Facts: In the 19th century old scented roses were used to make jelly. The red rose is the symbol of England and is worn on St George's Day. It is also the symbol of love and is hugely popular on St Valentine's Day, when roses make up the largest proportion of the £22 million spent on flowers in the UK on this day.
Medicinal: The crusaders when defeated by Saladin in Jerusalem returned to the west with rose plants which were then cultivated by monks in their monastery gardens for their medicinal properties. Rose water was successfully used to cure all kinds of ailments, such as trembling, constipation, drunkenness, skin and throat infections and insomnia. There is some truth in this as we now know Rosa rugosa hips contain high levels of Vitamin C. Indeed, rosehip tea is often recommended in pregnancy. Rose oil can reduce high cholesterol levels. Roses are used in face toners and perfume and are one of the most effective anti-ageing ingredients.
History: Not surprisingly the Rose has always featured strongly throughout history.
Tulip
Name: From the Turkish for turban, after its rounded form. Botanical name Tulipa.
Colours: Everything except blue and true black.
Availability: November to May (January to April for British tulips)
Origin: Middle East
Care Tips: Tulips continue to grow in water and will curve towards the light. Make allowances for this when putting them in a vase or wrap the stems tightly in newspaper and stand them in water directly beneath a light for a few hours. Tulips have a vase life of just over a week, and buy flowers in bud but with colour showing.
Trivia:
Facts: Tulips are the third-biggest selling flower in Holland and are also very popular in the UK where many are also grown. The painter David Hockney displays them in his studio in Los Angeles and so they appear in many of his autobiographical paintings and for a long time were seen as his trademark.
Language of Flowers: In the Victorian language of flowers red tulips are a declaration of love, making them ideal gifts for Valentine's Day.
History: In the middle ages tulipmania saw bulbs change hands for the equivalent of £4million pounds a bulb!
Waxflower
Name: Also called Geraldton wax from the town in Australia from where it originates
Description: Tiny bowl-shaped flowers of four rounded petals, with prominent stamens in the centre; leaves are like pine needles on woody branched stems. Has a lovely lemon-almond fragrance.
Colours: Dark pink, pale pink, white
Availability: November - April
Care Tips: Waxflower has woody stems like a pine tree; use secateurs to cut them
Eustoma
Name: Also called Lisianthus, Prairie Gentian or Texan bluebell.
Origin: Native to the prairies of Texas and Mexico, despite their delicate appearance.
Colour: Shades of purple, cream, pink, also pale green, or bold two-tone "picotees" with coloured petal edges.
Availability: All year round.
Varieties: Single forms look like fullblown tulips or poppies; double forms like roses or peonies. In wonderful air-brushed soft dusky tones which spiral beautifully and are unbelievably silky to the touch.
Care Tips: Longlasting flowers, if their stems are recut regularly.
Trivia:
Facts: Has been one of the most popular flowers exhibited by the Flowers & Plants Association. Many people do not know what it is, but everyone loves it!
For more inspiration on lisianthus click here
Gerbera
Name: Named after Traugott Gerber, a German doctor. Usually pronounced JUR-bra. Infrequently called Transvaal Daisy or Barberton Daisy.
Origin: South Africa (Transvaal and Cape Province)
Colour: Gerberas offer an incredibly wide range of colours with every colour except blue represented (including fashionable shades of buff and maroon).
Availability: All year round.
Family: Miniature gerbera (germinis) are available, as well as the standard size, and large headed types (bigger than your palm).
Varieties: There are over 200 varieties of gerbera and breeders have developed many variants from serrated or frilly petals to double flowers and extra wide petals. A new developement is the mini-gerbera or 'germini' which have the same wide choice of colours but are smaller and more appropriate for smaller flower arrangements.
Care Tips: Need warmth and bright light.
Trivia:
Zodiac: Associated with the star sign Leo
History: Little-known 20 years ago, but now extremely popular and fashionable. Gerbera were first imported to Europe in the 19th century.
Alstromeria
Name: Sometimes called Ulster Mary (a corruption of the botanical name), or Peruvian lily from the country of origin. Pronounced Alstro-MARY-ah. The flower is named after Claus Alstroemer, a pupil of the great botanical classifier Linnaeus who went to South America and sent back seeds of species of this flower.
Description: The flowers are like miniature lilies, with spotted or striped markings, shaded colour, or contrasting patches.
Origin: Peru, Brazil and Chile where where they grow in cool mountainous regions.
Colour: Breeders in the UK and Holland have developed a huge range of hybrid varieties, all with quite different colours and markings. You can buy them all year round, in red, pink, orange, white, cream, yellow, peach and purple!
Availability: You can buy them all year round.
Care Tips: Leaves wilt before flowers, so remove all foliage before putting in an arrangement. They will last about two weeks in water. Take care in transporting the flowers as the stem joints are brittle and easily broken.
Amaryllis
Name: Pronounced AMMA-rillis, Amaryllis is sometimes called Hippeastrum, which means "knight star".
Description: Amaryllis have large flamboyant starry trumpets which spring from huge papery bulbs. Thick smooth leafless stems, often more than half a metre tall, are topped by four or five of these outsize blooms, making an impressive display.
Origin: South and Central America and the Caribbean
Colour: Pure white, pillarbox red, candy pink, peach. There are also striped varieties and ones with frilled or coloured edges to the petals.
Availability: The main season is September to April.
Varieties: Christmas red varieties include "Liberty", "Red Lion", and "Hercules".
Care Tips: The flowerheads are often so large the stems cannot support them. Insert a thin stick inside the hollow stem for support. Buy Amaryllis when still in bud so you can transport them without damaging the flowers. The meaty stalk of an Amaryllis sucks up a lot of water, which means the flowers have a water supply within the stalk. This means you can use the Amaryllis as a dry decoration for a limited period. A few stems with fully blown flowers can be placed on a dinner table, or hung upside down above the table, without becoming instantly limp.
Trivia:
Zodiac: Associated with the star sign Aries, being flamboyantly red.
Greek Mythology: Amaryllis was a popular woman's name in ancient Greece.
Medicinal: Contains poisonous substances - but perfectly safe to handle.
Language of Flowers: Amaryllis means "splendid beauty" or "pride".