By Kathy Esfahani
Happy 2024! With the arrival of the new year, we make many fresh starts in our lives. Be sure to include flowers in your plans! Many blooms symbolize luck or new beginnings and are, therefore, perfect for centerpieces, decorations or just new additions to your home.
- Orchids represent luck, wealth, abundance, luxury and beauty. They are available in a variety of colors and make a thoughtful gift. An orchid prefers a bright environment, but not direct sunlight, and requires little maintenance other than proper watering.
- Daffodils are traditional symbols of new beginnings or rebirth. Although many associate these blooms with spring, they are also a popular gift for the new year — just be sure to give more than one as some believe a single daffodil bloom symbolizes bad luck!
- Lotus flowers submerge into the water and mud around them at the end of each day but blossom again the following morning as a beautiful bloom above the water. Their waxy petals do not hold the mud, producing a clean, bright bloom each day. For these reasons, a lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth and purity, but they also represent wealth, peace, grace and devotion.
- Calla lilies symbolize youth, purity and new beginnings. Their name comes from the Greek word for beauty, and the blooms have silky, elegant petals. The white calla lily is most recognizable and often used in wedding bouquets. However, these flowers are available in a variety of colors including yellow (meaning friendship), black (meaning mystery) and purple (meaning royalty).
- Alstroemeria represents fortune, prosperity and wealth. It is also known as the Peruvian lily and features a trumpet-shaped bloom. These flowers are wonderful additions to arrangements as they can last up to two weeks when cut.
- Hyacinth flowers are signs of new beginnings and change, but they are also used in Christian churches to symbolize joy and love. A hyacinth plant has long leaves and one to three spikes full of purple/blue flowers. They have a pleasant scent but contain oxalic acid that can cause skin irritation (be sure to wear gloves if working with the blooms).
- Peonies represent prosperity, innocence, dignity and compassion. Red blooms in particular are symbols of good luck and are, therefore, often seen in gifts or decorations around New Year’s. Peonies produce large blooms in a variety of colors.
Happy new year!
Flower of the Week: Orchid
Please email Kathy at kcg.pvr@gmail.com for any questions or gardening tips you would like to see in the future. For more information and ideas, visit Kathy’s Creative Gardens & Nursery, 196 N. Roscoe Blvd. The phone number is 904-655-7373.
