Floriography, by Gina Margolies

February can be a tough month. The glow of the holidays has faded into memory, the mercury is hovering at its lowest point of the year, and the balm of spring seems far, far away. Who wouldn’t long for a sunny island get away? If you are one of the lucky ones jetting off to a long weekend in the sun sometime soon, I wish you safe travels and a wonderful time. For those who don’t have a tropical vacation in their calendar, perhaps there is a simpler (less expensive!) way to bring some cheer to this February. I have...

Happy New Year and welcome to January!  January's birth month flower is the beautiful carnation. The scientific name of carnation is dianthus caryophyllus from dios (divine) + anthos (flower). In addition to its role as January's Birthday Blossom, carnations are also the first wedding anniversary flower and often appear in boutonnieres. Humble and commonplace, yet distinct and divine, a bouquet of carnations is the perfect way to kick off a new year. 

The twenty-first of December is the official onset of winter, but chilly temperatures have already descended on Birthday Blossoms Headquarters in New York City. This dip in the mercury magically inspires thoughts of snowflakes, hot cocoa, gingerbread, ice skating, and fluffy blankets. What it does not bring to mind is flowers. Except here at Birthday Blossoms, of course, where flowers are always foremost in our minds, even on the coldest, darkest day of the year. Blossoms popular in wintertime are poinsettia, paper whites, and other flowers typically grown in greenhouses. A perfect example is December’s birth month flower, the lovely...

Here at Birthday Blossoms, we love when birth month flowers pop up in unexpected places. We recently spotted November’s birth month flower on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The current exhibition Lineages: Korean Art at the Met features pieces from The Met’s historical collection as well as loans of modern and contemporary Korean art. The blend of a backward glance with a forward vision spotlights much that is beautiful and interesting about Korean art. The gallery is quite small, and the pieces are close enough to whisper to one another, sharing themes,...

November's Birthday Blossom is the colorful chrysanthemum. The name derives from the Greek words chrysous meaning golden (the color of the original flowers) and anthem meaning flower. First cultivated in China, they were brought to Europe in the 17th century before making their way stateside to adorn autumnal tableaux. Chrysanthemums come in various forms, such as daisyesque, pompom, and buttons, as well as many different colors. In addition to their decorative charms, chrysanthemums possess hidden superpowers. The flower produces pyrethrum, a natural insect repellent, and provide a food source to Lepidoptera larvae aka future butterflies. The beautiful and hard-working chrysanthemum is one of...