A Potted History of Flowers and Florists
It is believed that there are some 270,000 different species of flower around the world. And they have a long history - about 100 million years’ worth.
Floristry also has quite a history. Primarily associated with the production and trade of flowers, floristry includes the creative art of floral design, or flower arranging. Florists aren't just based at stores or online, they can be found creating floral magic at events from parties and restaurants to weddings and political events.
The earliest known flower arranging can be dated back to ancient Egypt (see Blue Lotus flower image). Flower arrangements were used during burials, for processions, and simply as table decorations.
The Greeks and the Romans also used flowers. The wreath was a symbol to the Greeks of power, honour, allegiance, dedication and awarded of athletes, poets, civic leaders, soldier, and heroes.
The Chinese were making flower arrangements as far back as 207 BCE to 220 CE, in the Han era. Flowers were an integral component of religious teaching and medicine. The most honoured of all flowers was the peony, symbolic of wealth, good fortune, and high status.
Today, the beauty of fresh flowers plays a role in many of the key events in our life from births and weddings to just saying sorry or thank you. You make everyone's day by transforming a venue with flowers.
older posts
Meanings of the Number of Roses in your Bouquet
Next time you send roses to a loved one, (or someone sends a bunch of roses to you!), refer to the list below to find out how different numbers of stems can represent different messages of love:
read moreHow Flower Obsessed Victorians Encoded Messages in Bouquets
Victorians used to send flowers much like how we now use emoji - by encoding messages in their flower arrangements using plants and flowers in the way we send ambiguous coded imagery through our digital devices.
read moreA Potted History of Flowers and Florists
It is believed that there are some 270,000 different species of flower around the world. And they have a long history - about 100 million years’ worth. Floristry also has quite a history. Primarily associated with the production and trade of flowers, floristry includes the creative art of floral design, or flower arranging. Florists aren't just based at stores or online, they can be found creating floral magic at events from parties and restaurants to weddings and political events.
read moreCelebrating with Flowers This Christmas
It’s that time of year, time to pull out the tinsel and put up the tree. Here in New Zealand we still follow many English Christmas traditions but we also have our own traditions based on a summer Christmas.
read moreFlower Power Better Than Coffee?
Looking for a productivity boost? Or just want to make your day a little better? While a cup of coffee makes for a pleasant wake-up call, it seems plants can also help us rev up our brains.
read moreFlowerPop Gets a Make-Over
Packed with beautiful blooms, potted plants and an assortment of gifts, FlowerPop has had an amazing transformation. FlowerPop, once Grey Street Flowers has a fresh new-look website, updating it to match their new approach. Shoppers will not only appreciate the new image but the increased focus on making shopping for fresh flowers and gifts much simpler.
read moreHow to Keep Your Flowers Fresh
When you have a beautiful vase of flowers bringing colour and fragrance to your room, you want to keep them at their best for as long as possible. We've put together a few tips that will help keep your flowers fresh and happy.
read more
