Here’s a look at what to expect from this year’s edition of the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show.

2011 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

The 2011 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, now about to mark its 26th year, is taking its celebrations to an even grander level this spring. As always, the Flower & Garden Show will act as a unique showcase for enjoying the best that California has to offer, exploring its one-of-a-kind horticultural and floral characteristics. This will be evidenced through event sections hosted by the state’s floral and plant visionaries (like the Bonsai Society of San Francisco, California Garden Clubs and the Western Horticultural Society).

The 2011 Show will feature an even greater emphasis on sustainable gardening practices than in its past and will host 20 installations from top, international designers. Event organizers have stated that the exhibition will primarily concern itself with how we connect to the environment around us, demonstrating the best methods for growing beautiful plants and flowers in a sustainable manner.

Some of the most prevalent themes at this year’s show will be matters including water conservation, floral design trends and arranging, novice and experienced horticultural tips and more. HGTV personalities will also be leading seminars this year regarding how to make great gardens without harming the environment. Gary Gragg and Annie Spiegleman have already confirmed their attendance, speaking to crowds from March 23rd to March 27th at the San Mateo Event Center.

Food celebrations have also been added to the event. Attendees looking for a great bite to eat between events will be thrilled to know that Sean Baker, Jeffrey Stout, Alice Waters, Margo True and Andrea Froncillo will all be in attendence, running their own restaurants. Adding in children’s areas and plenty of educational opportunities, the 2011 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show looks to be a great event for nearly any visitor.

In order to help make this Valentine’s special for you and yours, we’ve provided a look at a few flowers perfectly suited for the holiday.

Roses

Roses are, by far, the most popular option for Valentine’s Day flower gift-giving. They represent a classic choice that acts as a clear symbol of love. Even though they’re the most traditional Valentine’s flower you can still make them unique. Try picking your rose bouquet from colours other than the common red tones and explore other beautiful options like yellow, lavender or peach.

Lilies

Although roses are one of the most popular choices, lilies come in a close second. Lilies possess a wonderful smell and are elegant in appearance. Just like roses, lilies are available in a wide variety of colours and styles. Whether you’re looking for fragrant Stargazers or beautiful Asiatics, lilies are always a smart choice for Valentine’s Day. Another great plus is that lilies, because they’re a slow blooming flower, last for a long time after they’re given as a gift.

Orchids

After roses and lilies, orchids are another great choice for a Valentine’s Day gift. Orchids can also be purchased in a number of different styles depending on taste and give off a pleasing fragrance regardless of style. Whether you’re interested in long stems or fuller arrangements, orchids represent a fantastic option.

Make your Valentine’s Day arrangement with roses, lilies or orchids to properly express love and romance this holiday season. Take the time to work with your florist to create a personalized arrangement for an extra touch and be sure to deliver the flowers along with a note to complete the gift.

In order to help, we’ve provided a quick run-down of the main styles of funeral flowers and how they are used at services or at home.

For the Service

There are a number of different styles that should be looked at. Box cover arrangements are usually large and expensive funeral flowers. They’re meant to be placed above a closed coffin and are available in either a “full” or “half” style. These are most often purchased by immediate family members.

Inside casket pieces are intended for use in the coffin lid’s interior (at open-casket funerals) and are, most often, provided by someone in the deceased’s family. Funeral sprays are meant to be held in one hand by a member of the funeral party or placed on an easel. They can range in size from small to large arrangements. Coronas, also meant to placed on an easel, are carried to the grave and usually take the shape of a ring — often a solid or framed heart — or a bouquet.

If you’re not part of the immediate family, funeral baskets can be sent to the service. Baskets can be composed of flower arrangements that stand with wire support on the floor or can be any type of visually pleasing arrangement that is put together in a basket or similar container.

For the Home

Picking the right funeral flower style is much easier when it is intended for use in the home. Many different types and styles of flower arrangements are appropriate for sending to (or bringing by) the home of the bereaved. Baskets or vases of flowers are a smart idea as they can be used at both the funeral service and at home. Plants can accompany flowers or stand on their own. The fact that they can be tended to long after they’re received is a plus. Plants allow for long-term enjoyment.

Here is an overview of why wedding flowers can work as great favours and how you can go about choosing and presenting them perfectly at your event.

Why Use Flowers as Wedding Favours?

Typical wedding favours are disposable, forgettable items that guests usually forget about soon after leaving the reception. Using flowers as wedding favours provides a unique gift that is sure to have a more lasting impression. Instead of chocolates or other small, typical items, flowers provide a sign of appreciation for your guests that they will enjoy at home for days after the celebration.

Flowers need to be purchased and arranged for weddings regardless of whether they’re being used for favours or not. Incorporating your wedding favours in with other flower choices allows you to eliminate two design tasks at once! When looking at this level of convenience combined with the unique nature of the gift itself it’s easy to see what a great favour flowers make.

How Should I Present Them?

There are a number of different ways to make your wedding favours look great. One idea is to arrange miniature bouquets at each of the reception tables. These don’t need to be expensive — a small selection of flowers taken from your wedding arrangements works perfectly. This also allows you to echo the design of your floral theme on a small scale and lets your guests bring home a physical memory of the celebration.

For an even more unique presentation idea, leave packets of flower seeds at tables along with a small photo of the blossoms and growing instructions. Presenting your floral wedding favours like this makes for an interesting and interactive gift that can live on in your guests’ garden long into the future.

Historic/Practical Reasons

In Judaism, the burial of the deceased must take place immediately. Most often this means that a body should be committed to the earth within 24 hours or, at most, within three days following death. Because of this, the speed by which a burial takes place has historically allowed Jewish funerals to avoid having to mask the odours of a decaying body. In non-Jewish tradition flowers have become part of funerals in order to avoid this problem but, due to the speedy burial rites of Judaism, the use of blossoms in funerals hasn’t taken the same cultural hold.

Religious Reasons

Aside from the practical considerations of a quickly scheduled burial, Jewish faith also makes note of reasons for avoiding funeral gifts like flowers. The Jewish religion emphasizes the importance of true equality among all people and this is especially important in funeral services where gifts can make one person seem more loved or of a higher stature than another. Sending sympathy flowers to one person, who accumulates more than another, can be seen as a violation of this concept.

When the family or the loved ones of the deceased are sitting shiva (a word that means “seven” and refers to the traditional grieving period) it is also important not to send sympathy flowers. During this period of time specific customs are followed and the sending of flowers is, usually, inappropriate.

Depending on how strictly the deceased and their loved ones follow Jewish law, flowers could, potentially be appreciated. For this reason, it’s a good idea to call those in grief to inquire as to their views. If they would rather not accept flowers then charitable donations are often considered an appropriate replacement for showing respect and sympathy.

Now we’ll see how a beloved holiday flower came to be associated with Valentine’s as the celebration grew to become the event we recognize today.

Valentine’s Day Symbols

As St. Valentine’s Day became an increasingly popular holiday throughout Europe and the New World, commercial opportunities began to arise. Starting in the late 18th century and hitting its stride in the 19th, Valentine’s cards, flowers and candy became common holiday gifts.

One of the largest markets was in greeting cards. The greeting card industry became one of the most profitable sectors of Valentine’s related business and, its use of roses as a central image involved with love became intimiately connected with common holiday symbols. The poetry that was often made a central aspect of these cards was largely responsible for how modern thoughts regarding the holiday came about and, in this, we can see how heavily involved roses have always been.

Roses and Love

As we described before, roses have always been associated with the emotion of love in many Western cultural traditions. This type of symbolism continued forward as Valentine’s became a profitable holiday that embedded itself in annual celebrations. As far back as Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene (published in 1590), roses have been mentioned in connection with the burgeoning holiday.

A 1784 collection of nursery rhymes (Gammer Gurton’s Garland) contained the archetypal Valentine’s Day love poem (one that should sound familiar to many readers) and uses the rose as a central image:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue
The honey’s sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said it shou’d be you.

This poem encapsulates the intimate connection between roses, Valentine’s Day and love — a connection that continues to exist today.

Here are a few essential points to keep in mind as you choose sympathy or funeral flowers.

Sending Your Sympathy Flowers

Sympathy flowers are almost always an appropriate gift but it’s a good idea to consider the background and personal wishes of the recipient before going forward with your order (for example, if recipients are Jewish and observe shiva, it is improper to send flowers during this time of grief — choose a fruit basket instead). Once you’re sure that the family or loved ones of the departed would appreciate them, ask where flowers are most needed. Recipients may wish to make use of them for viewings or the funeral service itself while others would rather receive flowers at home to liven their house during a time of sadness.

Funeral flowers should be coordinated with the other blossoms being used at the ceremony while those being sent to a home can be picked on knowledge of the recipient’s personal taste.

Sympathy Flower Customs

A few customs are important to keep in mind as well. For instance, if you plan to send sympathy flowers to the recipient’s home, avoid purchasing sprays or wreaths. These are more typically used in funeral services and viewings and will look out of context in a house. There are no strict social rules to follow when sending sympathy flowers to a house, however. Feel free to exercise your own creativity (and knowledge of the deceased or his or her loved ones) in order to make your arrangement special.

Sympathy notes or cards are customary and, even if they’re short, are sure to be appreciated. Take the time to write out your thoughts and send a message along with your flowers.

The Birth of Valentine’s Day

To understand how the rose became so important it’s necessary to first look at the birth of Valentine’s Day.

Saint Valentine’s Day came about in remembrance of two Christian saints (Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni) and of religious martyrs in general (as they were commonly named Valentine). In the 14th century, romantic connotations started to become associated with the traditional February 14th celebration of Saint Valentine’s Day, the Catholic church removed the official recognition of Valentine’s Feast Day and the religious aspect of the holiday was lost entirely in favour of a focus on the universal emotion of love.

The Rose Reemerges as the Symbol of Love

As more time passed St. Valentine was romanticized and, in many ways, condensed into a single figure. The new legend that was attributed to him was that he was a saint, executed after refusing the Roman Emperor Claudius II’s decree that young men remain single (in order to become better soldiers). This version of St. Valentine would secretly marry lovers and, in an unverified (but popular) version of the tale, also wrote the first “Valentine card” to his sweetheart on the night before his death sentence.

This growing mythology would eventually create an entire industry centred on a version of a version of a version of various Christian martyrs, leading to what has now become a secular holiday focused on the celebration of love.

In our last look at the history of roses and Valentine’s Day we’ll trace the final part of the story, showing how the myth of St. Valentine grew into the modern holiday we celebrate today — and why roses are such an important part of it.

We’d like to provide a few details regarding some of Japan’s flower festivals, giving an overview of traditional celebrations and how the country celebrates its favourite flowers every year. For travelers looking to attend some of the country’s events this year, we’ve also listed a few of the upcoming 2011 festivals already planned.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Festivals

Cherry blossom festivals are looked forward to by Japan throughout the entire year and, because of this, celebrations regarding their blossoming are designed to be joyful and exciting. The blooming of cherry blossoms can be taken in from January to June across the various temperate regions of Japan but the biggest festivals take place from March to May.

In Japan, cherry blossoms are known as sakura and sakura festivals are enjoyed along with tea ceremonies, music, lights and great food. Most festivals combine a love of flowers with traditional Japanese entertainment and food. Visitors and citizens that want to enjoy Japan’s vibrant culture and one of its most beautiful indigenous flowers are in for a great time when they attend some of the cherry blossom viewing events.

2011 Japan Cherry Blossom Festivals

This 2011, Japan will be continuing its celebrations of the cherry blossom with festivals taking place across the entire nation. The Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival takes place throughout the second half of January and runs to the beginning of February in Okinawa, the Matsuyama  Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival occurs in late March and runs until early April, featuring trees that are illuminated at night and the Takato Joshi Koen Cherry Blossom Festival is hosted throughout April and sees attendees watching pink cherry blossoms open across the region.

There are a large number of festivals set to take place this year. Travelers that are headed to Japan during the spring are sure to be able to find a festival near their destination and enjoy Japanese culture through sakura celebrations.

Your wedding flowers are important, however, and, fortunately, there are many different ways to help you in saving money on your floral arrangements and decorations without having to downsize their role.

Prioritize Your Spending

We all want to have beautiful flowers used in every aspect of our weddings but, with a little careful planning and creativity, money can be saved by prioritizing how your flowers are applied across the event. For example, the bridal bouquet, centrepieces and the ceremony backdrop are all aspects of the wedding that are memorable (and heavily photographed) — put your favourite flowers and designs in these areas and cut back on others to stretch your budget further.

Another great way to get the most out of your spending is to prioritize based on location. If you’re planning on having an outdoor event, save money by making use of the natural landscape in your event. Not only is this a budget-friendly option but it also makes for an aesthetically pleasing set-up that takes advantage of nature’s beauty. You can also save even more money by buying your wedding flowers entirely from a single supplier rather than a number of different shops.

Look at Alternatives

Alternative flower styles help to lower costs without sacrificing the aesthetics that you’ve decided upon. There are many ways to substitute more expensive blossoms for ones that look just as good but for a lower price point. Try using long, single stem flowers like orchids, calla lilies or roses for your bouquets and coursages for, what ends up being, a unique and beautiful look. Centrepieces can also be made cheaper with arrangements that call for only one or two flowers garnished with synthetic materials (baskets, ceramics, rocks, etc.) or non-blooming plants (twigs, leaves, needles, etc.).

By keeping these tips in mind it’s possible to have a great looking wedding while staying within your budget.