Mother’s Day Roots Honour Women Working for a Better World

In North America, MOTHER'S DAY was born from the dream of a devoted activist and mother named Anna Maria Jarvis, who first organized women into public health brigades, and then founded "Mother’s Friendship Day" to reconcile communities torn apart by the U.S. Civil War. A few years later, a new "Mothers' Day for Peace" began with a call for women to unite across national boundaries to end war.

The emphasis today has shifted from the pacifism and reform movements to a general appreciation of mothers, but the true roots of Mother’s Day stem from honouring women working together for a better world.

Flowers have ancient connections as symbols of respect. In fact, the official ceremony that launched the current Mother’s Day industry, was a celebration organized by Anna Jarvis’s daughter on May 10, 1908, with 407 children presenting their mothers with white carnations and a heartfelt note, at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which has become a permanent shrine to the birthplace of Mother’s Day.

Today, flowers continue to be a way to commemorate mothers for their contribution to all fields of life. According to Ontario’s floral experts like greenhouse grower Brian Slaman, mixed bouquets are the most popular choice for Mom followed by carnations, daffodils, roses, tulips, freesia, chrysanthemums, Iris, lilies and foliage plants.

Jouke Sypkes, General Manager of Ontario Flowers Growers in Mississauga, Ontario, a daily wholesale flower auction owned and operated by its grower members, claims plants that can be enjoyed both inside the home and later outside, are growing in popularity as gifts for Mom.

Jouke says he has seen an increase in the amount of potted hydrangea and campanula being sold for Mother’s Day during the last few years. “These kind of plants are great houseplants but once the blooms are done they can be transplanted to the garden as a perennial to be enjoyed for years to come, ” explains Jouke. “Of course, if Mom is not into gardening, cut flowers may be a better choice and Ontario has lots of the home grown traditional favourites to choose from as well.”

Whatever flowers you pick to honour the mothers in your life, make the gift more meaningful with a hug, a phone call or at the very least, a heartfelt note!

Love Lilies This Easter and Throughout the Year

Easter is late this year and that affords Ontario's Easter lily growers with a little extra time to force these trumpets of bright white purity, hope and life - the spiritual essence of spring and all the good things to come.

The genus Lilium are herbaceous flowering plants normally growing from bulbs. They comprise a genus of about 110 species and are important as large showy flowering garden plants. Lilies are also Ontario's 7th most important cut flower and the potted Easter lily is Ontario's only indoor potted lily. Despite a sales window of only approximately two weeks each year, Easter Lilies are the fourth largest potted plant crop in North America, ranking just below poinsettias, mums, and azaleas as a favorite blooming plant.

We can thank Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, for the popularity of the Bermuda Lily -- better known as the Easter Lily. In 1919, he brought a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs to the southern coast of Oregon and gave them to family and friends to plant. The climate there was ideal for growing this lily, a native of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and by 1945, over one thousand growers were producing bulbs for the commercial market.

Often called the "white-robed apostles of hope," lilies are said to have been found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ's agony. Tradition has it that the beautiful white blooms sprung up where drops of Christ's sweat fell to the ground in his final hours. At Easter time, churches bank their altars and surround their crosses with masses of Easter lilies, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hope of life everlasting.

The pure white lily has long been associated with the Virgin Mary, too. In early paintings, the Angel Gabriel is pictured extending a branch of pure white lilies to the Virgin Mary, announcing that she is to be the mother of the Christ Child. In other paintings, saints are pictured bringing vases full of white lilies to Mary and the infant Jesus.

Two of the greatest charms of the Easter Lily are form and fragrance, so pick Ontario grown Easter Lilies that are aesthetically pleasing from all angles with flowers in various stages of bloom. As the flowers mature, remove the yellow anthers before the pollen starts to shed. This extends the flower life and prevents the pollen from staining the white flowers or tablecloths. Deadhead withered blooms to encourage attractive longevity

In the home, the lily will thrive near a window in bright, indirect natural daylight, but avoid glaring, direct sunlight. Easter lilies prefer moderately moist, well-drained soil. Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch, but avoid over-watering and letting the plant sit in standing water.

It is very difficult to force Easter lilies into bloom a second time indoors but if planted in the garden after risk of frost, the bulb plant may bloom again in the summer or fall. However, the bulbs are not hardy and won't survive an Ontario winter in the ground. Pick a site with bright light but some shelter from extreme heat and wind. As the original plant dies back, cut the stems down to the soil surface. New growth will soon emerge. The Easter lilies, which were forced to bloom under controlled greenhouse conditions in March, may rise again naturally in the summer!

History of Sending Flowers

For centuries, flowers have symbolized fertility, love, marriage, and romance. The history of giving your loved one Valentine’s Day flowers comes from the old-fashioned custom of sending floral bouquets to pass on non-verbal messages. Introduced in the 18th century by Charles II of Sweden, each flower had a specific meaning attached to it, making it possible to have an entire conversation using only flowers. Today, people continue to send flowers on special occasions or to express sentiments of love and admiration.

Valentine’s Day is also one of the biggest holidays to send flowers. The rose is the traditional Valentine’s Day flower, as it signifies romantic love, but there are many other flowers that people sent to communicate the different types of love they feel for those important people in their lives.

History of Valentine's Day

The history of Valentine’s Day, legend says, originated during the 3rd Century in Rome. During this time, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers, so he outlawed marriage for young men in his empire. A young priest named Valentine was furious with this injustice and defied Claudius by continuing to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Valentine’s actions were eventually discovered and he was sentenced to death.

During his time in jail, Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, who visited him in prison. Before he was put to death, Valentine sent a letter to his lover and signed it, “From Your Valentine”-an expression we still use today. Valentine was executed on February 14th, 270 AD. Many years later, Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14th a day to honor Valentine, who by that time had become a saint.

Featured Flower: Violet

The African violet is among the most popular of houseplants with annual North American wholesale sales exceeding 35 million dollars. It is the fourth most important potted flower crop in Ontario. This popularity is due to its ability to thrive under conditions commonly found in most homes, and its usefulness as a specimen plant, center piece, or feature in dish gardens.

These compact little plants come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Discovered in 1892, growing wild in the mountains of what is now Tanzania, in southeast Africa, African violets are available everywhere from your local garden center to the corner grocery.

When picking Ontario African violets, inspect the plants carefully for insects or disease. Do not purchase plants with mushy brown blooms or buds, or streaked, misshapen leaves with irregular yellow spots. Signs of insect infestation include a white cottony "dust" on the leaf stems (mealy bugs) or tiny green, red or yellow "specs" or webbing on leaves or buds (spider mites).

African violets enjoy bright, diffused sunlight or artificial light and lots of it. They also like higher humidity and warm temperatures, making them ideal for the bathroom windowsill--especially if that window faces north or east.

Keep the soil evenly moist (not wet!) and water the plant from the bottom to avoid water spots on the leaves. Simply set the container in a saucer of tepid water for about 20 minutes and allow the soil to absorb the water. Don't leave the plant sitting in water for much longer or you run the risk of over watering, which can cause root rot and kill the plant. African violets seldom need pots larger than 4 inches in diameter. The danger of over watering increases if the pots are too big.

Use either special African violet fertilizers or a houseplant fertilizer high in phosphorus. A very dilute fertilizer solution at each watering keeps growth constant and eliminates any chances of over fertilization.

Pick Ontario July Newsletter

Pick Ontario Flowers has released their July Newsletter for all to read!

Topics include:
Ontario's Favourite Flower (to date)
Breath of Fresh Air at Queen's Park
Featured Flower: Gerberas
Featured Grower: Van Geest Bros.

Read the July Newsletter online or sign up to have the newsletter sent directly to your inbox each month.

Featured Flower: Tulips

Cut Tulips are one of Ontario’s largest cut flower crops, accounting for a large percentage of total flower production. They are available from late December through June.

The tulip originated over ten decades ago in Persia and Turkey. Its name is derived from the Persian word for turban. The flower’s popularity spread quickly, particularly in the Netherlands where “tulip mania” sent tulip prices soaring and markets crashing during the 17th century.

Cut Tulips Dance in the Vase

Don’t be spooked if the straight upright tulips arranged yesterday are bending all over the place today. They are just doing what cut tulips do – dance in the vase.

Unlike other flowers, Tulips keep growing after being cut. The movement occurs as the stems grow upward, while the large flowers respond to the pull of light and gravity. Floral designers treasure these graceful habits , but they can confuse people used to flowers ”that just stand there”.

For longest vase life, look for bunches of cut tulips with buds that are still closed but clearly show the color of the flower. Remove bruised leaves and trim an inch or two from the stems with a clean sharp knife to allow better fluid intake. Cut flower food is not necessary but tulips are particularly thirsty. Refresh water levels daily and if necessary, recut stems after a few days. Keep away from sources of heat (including direct sunlight, radiators, lamps and television sets). With proper care, cut tulips should last from 4 to 7 days.

Design Tip:
Cut tulips are at home in most containers: from a crystal vase to a tin can. Choose one that does not compete with the flowers.

Tulips look great solo because of their sculptural shape but also combine well with spring branches like Forsythia, Curly Willow or Dillweed . Do not mix with daffodils, as they release a substance that kills tulips.