Roses Are Red.....

..... Violets are blue, presents are nice, but flowers are too!

I am pretty sure I have written about how much I love flowers and in fact nearly a year ago I am pretty sure I wrote about how I love receiving them (hint hint) but in reality, as I buy myself so many Rob thinks that his contribution would be pointless; I think that his contribution would be wonderful! Anyway, I was thinking why is it that one dozen Red Roses is the thing that is most associated with Valentine's day? The perfect gift some might say! Working in the family florist, we get our fair share of red orders, but as we are specialised in very country style flowers; pinks and creams are also very high on the list. Seasonal bouquets, tulips, and spring bulbs also feature but the overriding orders are just for Red Roses. 

And of course it is the number of such that holds a great significance. We have had a couple of 100 stem orders before which is just collossal (and expensive) but my, oh my, what a reaction such a flamboyant gift would receive. More commonly, it is "One Dozen Red Roses" that were ordered and I suppose they are most famous as the perfect gift for Valentine's. 

After doing some research on why one dozen is so important in this particular bouquet, I found that 12 as a number holds more meaning than what I previously thought. Not only has the number got strong links to nature, religion and philosophy, but the gift of a dozen roses began to symbolise love in the Victorian era as 12 (in calendar terms) represented completeness. Red roses were also heavily associated with perfection making the gift of 12 red roses a sign of devotion and honour to the one they were given to.

12 red roses = love, perfection and completeness so it is no wonder that at this time it is the first choice for giving to loved ones. Flowers are used at almost all celebratory occasions, so for me they are a perfect object for giving to show loved ones just how important they are. I however don't need 12 of the same flower to make me feel love, any type in any number is just perfect for me!

Emily xx