Joyeuse St-Patrick!

Un petit montage vert en l’honneur de la Saint-Patrick!

La fête de Saint-Patrick est célébrée par les Irlandais du monde entier, expatriés ou descendants des nombreux émigrants, et sa popularité s’étend aujourd’hui vers les non-Irlandais qui participent aux festivités et se réclament « Irlandais pour un jour ».
Les célébrations font généralement appel à la couleur verte et à tout ce qui appartient à la culture irlandaise : la fête de Saint-Patrick telle que pratiquée aujourd’hui voit les participants, qu’ils soient chrétiens ou pas, porter au moins un vêtement avec du vert, assister à des « parades », consommer des plats et des boissons irlandaises, en particulier des boissons alcoolisées (bières et stout irlandais, comme la Murphys, Smithwicks, Harp ou Guinness, ou des whiskeys, des cidres irlandais, des Irish coffee). Fait intéressant: À Chicago, le jour de la fête de la Saint-Patrick, la rivière Chicago est teinte en vert!

Levons notre verre!

source: wikipedia

Un petit montage vert en l’honneur de la Saint-Patrick!

Yummy!! Tasty Flowers

Edible flowers

Have you tasted flower?
Flowers are not only used for the purpose of decor and gifts, they are used in recipes!

Edible flowers are considered to be a gourmet delight!
They can be used in cold salads, beverages, soups, desserts and hot meals. Fresh edible flowers are found during the spring and summer, they are extremely tasty bought from organic farms or gardeners who raise flower for the use of food.

Here is a list of edible flowers:

• borage,
• carnations,
• lavender,
• roses,
• violets,
• pansies,
• gladiolas

that are easy to find and cook with. So next time when you have guests over add a pretty flower to their meal! They are delicious!

Share with us your favorite flower recipe!

Edible Flowers

Credits:

www.flowerslovers.blogsome.com
www.dev.ealerter.com
www.onceuponaplate.blogspot.com
www.bitterbutton.com
www.theflowerexpert.com

Why The Red Rose for Valentine ?

Why Red Roses For Valentine?

On Valentine’s Day, what else to talk about in the flower world than red roses! The flower of love! Here is a little history:

Evidence suggests that the red rose is nearly 35 million years old. The most commonly available roses belong to two broad categories:

• the Oriental species and their hybrids,
• the European or Mediterranean species and their hybrids.

It is possible to grow a red rose anywhere in the world, if the species to which it belongs is selected according to climatic conditions.

Not surprisingly, therefore, ancient civilizations such as those of the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans seemed to have given the red rose a place of pride.
Rose fossils have been found near ancient Egyptian tombs. Greek mythology is replete with references to the red rose being sacred to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, and Venus, the Greek goddess of love. Cupid, of course, is inextricably linked to the red rose.

• The Romans seem to have been rather preoccupied with the red rose. Their preoccupation was not just the result of their appreciation for its beauty and fragrance. They had discovered the medicinal properties of the red rose, and also found ways of capturing its fragrance in perfumes. In fact, there is evidence which suggests that they experimented with cultivation techniques and found ways to make red roses blossom beyond their natural peripheries.

• The beauty of the red rose has always driven rose lovers to find ways and means of collecting them, displaying them and growing them. French Empress Josephine, particularly after her divorce with Emperor Napoleon, took to roses and dedicated a large space and resources to the cultivation and hybridization of roses. The palace of Malmaison became home to rose gardens with old and new species. Among these, the red rose received plenty of attention.

• The red rose also has an interesting place in the history of England. Opposing factions in York and Lancaster fought for control over England in the 15th century. York was synonymous with the white rose and Lancaster with the red rose. In fact, the friction between these warring factions led to the coining of the term ‘War of the Roses’. Lancaster emerged victorious, but this victory did not spell defeat for York. Tudor Henry VII and his bride from York facilitated the symbolic union of red rose and the white rose, and gave England ‘the Rose of England’.

• Whether it’s red roses in England, or in any other part of the world, botanists credit China with the ‘ever-blooming’ variety. In the late 18th century, botanists succeeded in bringing these to Europe, and then the rest of the world. Today, including hybrids, there are over 150 species of roses. Several of these are red. There are different shades of red roses available today, and they are of different sizes.

Much love to our readers, happy Valentine’s Day!

Article source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Red-Rose-History&id=144236

Carnations : Flower of the month of January

Carnation Flower Balls

We don’t use carnations very often, however as you can see on these pictures, arranged as balls they look awesome! Here are a few fun and interesting facts about this birth flower of January.

The Carnation, whose botanic name is Dianthus caryophyllus, is really a plant that originated in the Near East at least 2000 years ago. It was originally only found in the popular light pink color, however today it has been cultivated into many other colors including red, purple, green and yellow.

Because of their low cost, carnations are the flower given most often in a boutonniere or in a corsage for a teenager’s high school prom, homecoming or other dance. They are also given to mothers on Mother’s Day, this allows for the children to have big assortments without breaking their budget.

Each color of a Carnation has a different meaning.

• Light red symbolizes admiration
• Dark red symbolizes a deep love
• White symbolizes both pure love and luck
• Striped Carnations symbolize regret.
• Purple Carnations are said to indicate capriciousness.
• Green Carnations are used predominantly on St. Patrick’s Day.
• Pink Carnations are said to be a symbol of a mother’s undying love, going back to biblical times when Carnations sprang up out of the ground where the Virgin Mary’s tears fell as Jesus was carrying the cross.

The scarlet Carnation is the state flower of Ohio, chosen to honor assassinated president William McKinley, who was normally seen wearing it.

\Fun and interesting fact: At Oxford University, it is customary to wear a Carnation to an exam. White Carnations are worn to the first exam, red to the last, and pink Carnations to every exam in between.