Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and garage forecourts
up and down the country will be doing a brisk trade in tired
daffs or jet-lagged lilies flown halfway round the world
and marked up to double the price.
Rose 'Souvenir de Docteur Jamain'
Classy: Nothing says 'I love you' like Rose 'Souvenir de
Docteur Jamain'
But it doesn't take much time and imagination to come up
with a real romantic gesture - and one that will last longer
than a few days.
When you think of all the waste associated with Valentine's
Day - the throwaway cards, the yards of cellophane, not
to mention the air miles clocked up by roses guaranteed
to droop before they open - how much better to give a living
plant as a present.
Potted plants are so much more suggestive of permanent affection
than a bunch of flowers, and on a purely pragmatic level,
they give much better value for money.
You could choose a houseplant - jasmine, stephanotis and
gardenias are fragrant and glamorous, or a passionflower
vine, perhaps wound round a support in the shape of a heart,
would speak for itself.
Or how about something which can be planted out in the garden
in a few weeks' time?
If it has to be red roses - and they are, after all, the
classic "I love you" flower - you can't get better
than an entire bush of them that promises years of pleasure
and passion ahead.
Look through the catalogues of Peter Beales (www.classicroses.co.uk;
01953 454707) or David Austin (www.davidaustinroses.com;
01902 376300) for inspiration, from the dark velvety tones
of 'Empereur du Maroc' and the neat modern climber 'Guinee'
to the scarlet, single-flowered species Rosa moyesii or
sweet, spicy-scented 'Souvenir du Docteur Jamain', beloved
of Vita Sackville-West.
Some have names as beautiful and romantic as their flowers
- check out fiery, floriferous 'Intrigue' or, if pink is
preferable to red, coral-pink 'Belle Amour' or pink-tinged
'Cuisse de Nymph'.
The only problem with giving a rose bush at this time of
year is that unless, like the bushes in our special free
offer (see panel), they have been specially forced into
bloom for Valentine's Day, the plants are unlikely to be
at their most attractive.
In fact, most are likely to resemble a bundle of thorny
twigs in a pot. If your Valentine has a sense of humour,
you could always tie a few fake plastic or paper flowers
on to the bare branches with ribbon or, to be on the safe
side, present a single stunning deep black-red 'Baccarat'
cut rose alongside.
But roses are not the only flower of romance. According
to my well-worn copy of Flower Lore (published 1880), myrtle
has been a symbol of "glory and happiness in love"
since Roman times.
Sacred, along with roses, to Aphrodite, goddess of love,
it was often used in wedding rituals - a tradition revived
by the Victorians.Indeed, the fluffy white flowers of myrtle
figured large in Queen Victoria's own wedding bouquet, and
many of the myrtle plants in our public and private gardens
are directly descended from a tree that a gardener at Osborne
House raised from a cutting.
With its neat glossy evergreen leaves and clusters of fragrant
flowers followed by purple berries, Myrtis communis is a
plant with quiet good taste. Though often sold as a small
shrub, it can eventually grow into a tree up to 5 metres
tall, if planted in a mild spot sheltered from cold winds.
A small tree or bush, prettily wrapped and with a card explaining
the symbolism, would make a great gift for male and female
Valentines alike.
A potted camellia (signifying "Burning Love"),
winter honeysuckle ("Devotion"), violas ("Let's
Take a Chance on Happiness") or an orchid ("You
have cast a spell over me") would also be most suitable,
and each can be found in bloom at the moment. For more on
the forgotten language of flowers, see the box above right.
If you do have to fall back on buying or sending cut flowers
for Valentine's Day, might I remind you that beautiful scented
'Paperwhite' narcissi, grown in the famously mild climate
of the Scilly Isles, are an environmentally sound alternative
to exotics flown in from Kenya and Colombia?
From October to Easter, a box of 50 stems, picked at dawn,
shipped by noon and sent by first class post, costs just
£16.50 (including p&p) from www.scillyflowers.co.uk
(08453451691, with last Valentine's orders by noon on Feb
12).
Wiggly Wigglers, famed for their wormeries and compost-makers,
now do locally grown flowers by post and their enormous
informal bouquets cost from £35 including p&p
(www.wigglywigglers.co.uk, 01981 500391, last orders Feb
12).
Their early spring bunches also include British-grown daffodils
and narcissi - just don't let on to the recipient that their
Victorian meaning was "You are selfish".
If only the message behind the dreaded yellow carnation
('You have disappointed me') were widely enough known to
dissuade anyone from buying a bunch from a service station
on Valentine's eve. |
Select a Florist
