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Flowers in everyday life
In modern times, people have sought ways to cultivate, buy, wear, or just
be around flowers and blooming plants, partly because of their agreeable
smell. Around the world, florists sell flowers for a wide range of events
and functions that, cumulatively, encompass one's lifetime:
For new births or Christenings
As a corsage or boutonniere to be worn at social functions or for holidays
For wedding flowers for the bridal party, and decorations for the hall
As brightening decorations within the home As a gift of remembrance for
bon voyage parties, welcome home parties, and "thinking of you" gifts
For funeral flowers and flowers for the grieving
Florists depend on an entire network of commercial growers and shippers to support this trade. To get flowers that are out of season in their country, florists contact wholesalers who have direct connections with growers in other countries to provide those flowers.
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Flowers as symbols
Many flowers have important symbolic
meanings in Western culture. The practice of assigning meanings to flowers
is known as floriography. Some of the more common examples include:
Red roses are given as a symbol of love, beauty, and passion. Poppies
are a symbol of consolation in time of death. In the UK, Australia and
Canada, red poppies are worn to commemorate soldiers who have died in
times of war. Irises/Lily are used in burials as a symbol referring
to "resurrection/life". It is also assosiated with stars (sun) and its
petals blooming/shining. Daisies are a symbol of innocence.
Flowers
within art are also representative of the female genitalia, as seen
in the works of artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Imogene Cunningham,
and Judy Chicago.
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