Floriography, by Gina Margolies

When it comes to nature deities, Flora holds the number one spot on our list. You may know Flora as the Roman goddess of flowering plants, sister of Fauna, the goddess of animals and wildlife. It likely won’t come as a surprise that Spring is Flora’s season and her divine attributes are fertility, sexuality, and blossoming.   Flora’s name comes from the Latin floris meaning, naturally enough, flower. She had two temples in Rome, one near the Circus Maximus and another on the slopes of Quirinale, one of the famous seven hills of Rome. The temple on the Circus Maximus...

"The earth laughs in flowers."   - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 The Gift of Flowers   Flowers often accompany significant life events. Anniversaries, birthdays, and funerals all bring flowers to mind. A wedding is one of life’s most important moments associated with flowers. Not surprisingly, flowers played an important part in my wedding. More important than I anticipated they would. Like many women, I longed to put touches on my wedding which would make it special and unique, be perceived as creative or different. Of the many details, I really struggled with the guest favors. Flipping through wedding catalogs (this was before wedding web sites abounded) all of the favors seemed...

September's birth month flower is the aster. The name of the flower derives from the Greek word for star. Asters can be found in a number of colors, including pink, red, white, lilac, and mauve. Aster speaks of love and patience. Happy September!

Many know the birthstone and astrological sign associated with the month in which they were born, but did you know each month has its own flower too? This is often referred to as the birth month flower, and there is one for every month of the year. Like birthstones, birth month flowers have special characteristics which make them unique. A list of the birth month flowers includes the type of flower for each month and the meaning or symbolism associated with that flower.   The birth month flower is not a new concept. Flip through the Old Farmer’s Almanac and...