Gladiolus

So, here goes. First of all, I guess you should know a little about me. My blog is called a Life in Flowers because of the flower shop. Not that I own one, but this particular flower shop has always been a part of my life. I live in a average town in Ohio and right now my brother owns the flower shop. Before that it belonged to my dad and before him it belonged to my grandfather. Some of my earliest memories are of the shop. The smell of carnations, roses, and eucalyptus immediately stop me in my tracks. I am intrigued by the Oasis floral foam and water pics. There is no feeling like walking into the cold flower cooler on a hot day, and being surrounded by the Monet color effect of all the buckets filled with flowers.

Unfortunately, I was not given the gift of being a flower designer. I have always been in awe of the people in my life who have such talents. They can take flowers, beautiful in and of themselves and put them together to create beautiful masterpieces every single day. Flowers are delicate and fickle things. They can wilt when you don't think think they will, but at the same time they can be forced to open when they don't want to. Designers intinctively know what to do to make lovely pieces that in the end will only leave a memory, or a smell. They aren't meant to last, but they are there for all of the important steps in our lives: births, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, funerals. Designers choices can make or break how someone remembers thoses important days. I would like to have that kind of impact on people's lives, but that is not my case. I am more of a bystander at the flower shop, but I would like to think that I play a small, yet important role, so that is what this blog is for: to give insight into the lives and importance that florists play in the life of everyone.

"Say it with Flowers" really does encompass the credo that many florists believe in. I was recently talking to an elderly gentleman who came into the shop. He had a book with him about the meaning of flowers. There are not too many people who really know or care about the meaning behind flowers anymore. Everyone knows that red roses mean love, but other than that people don't care or they just want something pretty which is fine. I know that in Victorian society they made an artform of sending flower arrangements filled with meaning. I hope to bring some of that back through this blog and so I will start today with my favorite flower, the gladiola. Most older people only see them as flowers for a funeral, but take a closer look at this fabulous flower. They are tall and striking in a variety of colors. They work well in the garden as well as any table arrangement. The secret meaning of the gladiola is "love at first sight". I think that is most appropriate since that is how I will always feel about the flower shop!