What flowers to send for Christmas
A carefully presented display of flowers adds a touch of class to a home at any time of year, but there are traditional types of flowers associated with each season, from the mellow pastel shades of spring, through the vibrant warm pinks and yellows of summer to the golden reds and rusts of autumn. When it comes to Christmas, the traditional winter blooms of Poinsettia, holly and fern add a cheery note to those cold and dreary mornings as they echo the decorations we enjoy in our Churches at this special time.
The Poinsettia, probably the most poignant floral symbol of Christmas, has its origin in Mexico, where legend has it that two children of peasant families, unable to buy fresh flowers, once brought weeds to Church to lay before the nativity scene. As the congregation jeered, it is said that the green leaves magically blossomed into vivid red petals, giving birth to the Poinsettia plant which now enjoys a special place in our festive celebrations.
Nowadays our shops are full of Poinsettias in the run-up to Christmas and their vivacious red and forest green tones form the backbone of many of our Christmas bouquets, wreaths and flower displays. Blend in carefully selected sprigs of holly, seasonal leaves, evergreen ferns, red carnations or fragrant red Asiatic lilies and you have the ingredients for the perfect Christmas display. In sharp contrast to the more traditional seasonal colours, we also find plenty of beautiful selections of silvery white bouquets. These more contemporary creations capture the frosty hues of a winters morning with chrysanthemums, white roses, germini and white freesias blending to offer a fragrant festive decoration. Thanks to improvements in transportation, local flower shops, garden centres and internet retailers alike can now offer bouquets containing flowers from all over the world, with tropical blooms adding a touch of the exotic.
Growing ever more popular as gifts are the fantastic Christmas basket arrangements, which offer a more practical alternative to bouquets. These balance the impact created by other seasonal accessories in the room such as the Christmas tree and festive decorations and they make a fabulous centrepiece for the dining table on Christmas day. The advantage of baskets is that they don't require a suitable vase and can be easily placed and moved around. Traditional baskets may be adorned with spicy cinnamon bundles reminiscent of mulled wine and copper coated pine cones to reflect the forest floor in winter. Dusted with a little glitter and tied with festive ribbon, they add a real sense of rustic charm to any home.
If you are sending flowers, one important word of advice would of course be to find out the colour scheme of the house where they will be sent, to ensure that your chosen blooms will be in keeping with the decor. Christmas flowers are a living symbol of everything that makes this the most special occasion in the Christian calendar: hope, joy, love and beauty and the giving of flowers is representative of the kindness of the human heart at this time of year. As a Christmas gift, whether it be for your wife, your parents, friends or neighbours, will always be welcomed as a tasteful addition to the home.
