“Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, and takes the winds of March with beauty.”
~ William Shakespeare
Daffodils are the flower of the month for March. They symbolize renewal, chivalry, and regard.
In Wales, it’s said if you spot the first daffodil of the season, your next 12 months will be filled with wealth! (I see a daffodil, I see a daffodil!!)
And as it happens, the daffodil is the national symbol of Wales. How? Why… you ask?
The daffodil—cenhinen Pedr—and the leek—cenhinen—have a common name in the Welsh language. Leeks (green and white in colour) were eaten from the earliest times and were thought to bring about happiness and health. A leek was worn as a battle symbol in the 6th century when, according to legend, St David told the Welsh to put one in their headgear during battle so they wouldn’t be mistaken for Saxons. And thus the leek beacame the symbol of strength in Wales. For centuries, the leek has been a staple of the Welsh diet and was once regarded as an essential ingredient in the diet of the Welsh saints and general public, especially during Lent. It was also widely used in divination and most importantly for David, was a symbol of purity and immortality.
Henry VIII gave a leek to his daughter on March 1st, St David’s Day. St David is the patron saint of Wales. So it is possible the symbol of the leek sprang from this association. And because they have the same name in Welsh they became interchangeable. The Leek and The Daffodil.
The daffodil is a more recent national symbol. The only Welsh born prime minister, David Lloyd George, a liberal, served from 1916 to 1922. It is said that he wore a daffodil on St David’s Day, and that it was used in 1911 during the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. Both the leek and the daffodil are now associated with St David’s day. In the spring wild daffodils line the banks of some Welsh hedgerows, canals, and rivers. March and April are the best months to spot them.
Welshman David Jenkins decorated his house with nine thousand daffodils to mark St. David’s Day! Jenkins said, ""You know when you see a daffodil that winter is over – it must be the most cheerful flower in the world."

But there is one major difference: Leeks are delicious, daffodils are poisonous!!! So don’t eat the daffodils, dear, but do enjoy some leek and potato soup!
Potato Leek Soup Recipe
INGREDIENTS
3 large leeks, cut lengthwise, separate, clean. Use only the white and pale green parts, chop.
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)*
2 lbs potatoes, peeled, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
Marjoram – dash
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Tabasco sauce or other red chili sauce
Salt & Pepper
*If cooking gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free broth.
METHOD
1 Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover pan, cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Check often. Do not brown leeks! Browning will give leeks a burnt taste.
2 Add water, broth, and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Scoop about half of the soup mixture into a blender, puree and return to pan. Add marjoram, parsley, and thyme. Add a few dashes of chili sauce to taste. Add some freshly ground pepper, 1-2 teaspoons salt or more to taste.
Serves 4-6.

Send daffodils, wear them, decorate your house with them~as they spring forth as the first thought of the season!

“Daffodils” (1804)
I WANDER’D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Well, we made it through the Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, Olympic Weekend Madness!
Our shop was bustling with customers, loads of gorgeous flowers, and general merriment.
I am quite proud of the flowers we sent out, but even more impressed with the array of thoughtful gentleman that planned secret gifts, and accomplished complicated Valentine’s Day plans. What a treat to to get participate in their celebrations on a potentially cheesy, hectic, overdone holiday.
This is what has surprised and delighted me most about being a floral designer and finally opening our own shop~ we have the honor of participating in the lives of our clients at the most important times: birthdays, holidays and on anniversaries of all kinds. Arranged flowers are a token of love, a way of saying sorry, or a message of congratulations for any achievement, from passing a driving test to having a baby!
So, thank you to our loyal and fantastic return customers! We love you. We love participating in your weekly floral experiences, your inspirations, apologies, epiphanies, loves… we a grateful to participate in your lives.
So, thank you. Again.

Valentine’s Day is on it’s way.. and while I abhor the commercialization of most American holidays…I LOVE a day to celebrate LOVE!
I’m a romantic (in case you couldn’t tell. ) I love flowers, and the darkest of dark chocolates, the French language, poetry, Tennyson, Waterhouse paintings. I love love stories.
One of the great love stories of the ages is that of Napoleon and his Josephine. And it involves the flower of the month for February: the violet.

“Napoleon was a Major-General in the French Army — a man with lofty ambition. To achieve his goals, though, he needed a rich wife. Josephine in turn saw him as a possible patron, and cultivated his friendship. They became lovers in 1795.

December 1795:
I awake full of you. Your image and the memory of last night’s intoxicating pleasures has left no rest to my senses.
Sweet, incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart. Are you angry? Do I see you sad? Are you worried? My soul breaks with grief, and there is no rest for your lover; but how much the more when I yield to this passion that rules me and drink a burning flame from your lips and your heart? Oh! This night has shown me that your portrait is not you!
You leave at midday; in three hours I shall see you.
Meanwhile, my sweet love, a thousand kisses; but do not give me any, for they set my blood on fire.
B.

He proposed in January 1796, and they wed on March 9, 1796, just prior to his taking command of the army in Italy. She was hesistant at first to marry him, because he was “silent and awkward with women, was passionate and lively, though altogether strange in all his person.” In other words… he was too short.
But their marriage was one of the most dramatic, dynamic, lasting and passionate in the history of celebrity marriages.
The scent of violets was the favorite perfume of Josephine Bonaparte. She did not have the tallest or the most faithful of husbands, but he sent her her favorite violets every year on their anniversary. And they became a symbol of faithful love. When Napoleon returned from banishment in Elba, his beloved Josephine was dead. He picked a bouquet of violets for her grave. When Napoleon died, violets and a lock of Josephine’s hair were found in a locket on his person.
Pretty romantic stuff. (Almost as delicious as a Napoleon. I refer to the tasty, short stack of complicated pastry and cream with just the right amount of icing, also called Mille-feuille.)

Violets are small plants; they grow only six inches tall. The leaves are heart shaped and form a basal rosette from which the flowers rise on long stalks.
There are three common varieties of violet. The sweet violet has fragrant white or purple flowers and blooms in the early spring. The scent of the sweet violet is the strongest of the common violets. The wood violet is slightly larger than the sweet violet and is very similar to the common dog violet which blooms later in the season. There are also many varieties that are edible and delightful when candied or sprinkled fresh on top of a salad.

In the language of flowers violets send a message of friendship and esteem, or in the dark purple, “You have my faithful love.”
Perfect for Valentine’s Day! Or any day you want to express your humility; your willingness to overcome your ‘shortcomings.’

Join us in the garden for a cozy evening of our continuing monthly series of great music!
This month we are lucky to have Brennan’s Boarding House.

Friday, January 29th
6:30pm – 9pm

“Brennan’s Boarding House” is the singer/songwriter duo of Robin and Keven Brennan.
One night, 15 years ago, in an intimate place where moonlight glow cast long shadows, a melodic,
light-hearted and soulful songstress fell madly in love with a vibey, brooding and spirited troubadour.
The rest is history…

There’ll be fantastic food, drinks, and as always, incredible people with wit and charm (that’s you.)
So join us on Friday: rain, hail, shine, or monsoon.
No cover charge.

Right after the Greeks defeated Troy in the Trojan War, they left the burning city and headed home to Ithaca. One ship headed toward home had a captain named Odysseus. You may have heard of him. And his twenty year adventure complete with cyclops, gods, witches, Sirens and many others has proven worthy entertainment for centuries and a great analogy for our modern lives.
In 1983 it was suggested that the magical herb “moly” from Homer’s Odyssey is really a Snowdrop.
The Snowdrop is a flower that symbolizes being born in the month of January. The Snowdrop, also known as Galanthus nivalis is traditionally the first flowers to appear in either January or February in the north.
The Snowdrop is a white flower with three small petals in the middle surrounded by three larger petals on the outside.

So, it is possible that Odysseus utilized a Snowdrop as the ‘moly flower’ in his great travels, you see, the god Hermes showed him the bloom in the garden in front of a palace. Odysseus picked the moly flower and ate it. Then he went into the palace of a powerful witch called Circe, with some of his men. He took the wine offered him and drank it, trusting the moly flower to protect him. And it did! One of the active substances in a Snowdop is galantamine which could have acted as an antidote to poison. Today galantamine has been used to help treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
After the entire glass of wine was gone, Circe raised a wand and said, “Go wallow in the mud with all the others!” and attempted to turn them all into pigs. That was her thing. While his entire crew was turned into pigs, Odysseus just stood there. After pausing, Circe became extremely scared. Then the great witch allowed his men to be changed back into humans and for Odysseus and his crew to stay at her palace for as long as they liked.
He defeated a witch with a flower! Ha! Take that!
As we start this new year and each set sail on our continued voyage of self discovery, learning, and adventure that we call life… it couldn’t hurt to take some flowers with you! Just don’t eat them.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It’s true, flowers make us happy.
I got proof. The Society of American Florists partnered with Rutger’s University, on a groundbreaking study to examine the effect of flowers on human emotion and well-being. The results prove that the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions and increases enjoyment of life satisfaction! And further studies prove that flowers help elderly people’s state of mind and even brain function!
In my own experience, getting up at 4:30 am to go the flower mart, I have to admit I start out kinda grumpy. (My husband Cliff, would probably argue the ‘kinda’…)
But once we get there, and I am surrounded by flowers and that heavenly, fresh scent of spring~ it is inspiring and transforming.
Soon I am happily seeking out my favorites, like looking for a loved one, or a good friend in a crowd.
When I create an arrangement I sometimes get very quiet and contemplative, aware and grateful that these flowers were and are living things, and that they can and do bring us joy, express our emotions, make us happy.
Each month has a flower attributed to it. Each month- a new opportunity for happiness!
The flower of December is the Narcissus, sometimes called paperwhites, daffodils, or jonquils.
During the Victorian era those who sent bouquets that included a daffodil were telling the recipient of their regard. Those who included the jonquil were sending the more personal message saying “I desire a return of affection.”
If you send narcissus, daffodils, or jonquils to your someone… you are sending them a message of regard, perhaps a remembrance of a loved one, the hope of resurrection and rebirth, and the promise of eternal life, or you are simply letting them know you wish for them to return your favor.
The paperwhite smells wonderful, and can be sent as cut flowers or bulbs.
The flower for the end of the year appropriately represents rebirth, as we finish this year and get ready for the celebration of a new year!
Flowers surround us with their beauty, meaning, and purposefulness. In the current economic climate in the world, flowers are an inexpensive way to infuse our daily lives with joy, a spirit of renewal, a hope for Spring.
So many of us are struggling right now, but like the flowers of December we are all afforded a new beginning everyday, a new year less than a month away, an opportunity to celebrate the season of hope and love. To offer our best thoughts and to hope for a return of favor.
We can rise above and reach for the sun like a paperwhite bursting through the shell of it’s bulb!
Because flowers make us happy. And happiness is the key to life!