While the rose might enjoy the most numerous and prominent associations with the Christian religion, the lily-of-the-valley also bears singular significance in Christianity. And like the rose, the lily-of-the-valley is connected most strongly with (Catholic) Christianity’s two central figures—Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. The lily-of-the-valley, or Convallaria majalis, demonstrates that fatal combination of beauty …
You have, no doubt, seen a peculiar floral symbol in all manner of places with no apparent explanation or context. It graces the high and the low alike, from the heraldic crests of Europe’s ancient families and Old-World castles of immense wealth and opulence to the humble kitchen wallpaper. I’m speaking about the fleur-de-lis, otherwise …
June 16 is undoubtedly a special occasion, and not just because of Father’s Day. June 16 is Bloomsday, a day on which thousands the world over celebrate a watershed in the history of European literature by reading the most memorable work of one of Ireland’s greatest authors—Ulysses. Ulysses, written by Joyce in Trieste, Zurich, and …
“Flowers…are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities in the world.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson. Flowers—what are they for? No doubt you’ve wondered, whether as a child of tender age or an adult in your more childlike moments, what exactly the reason behind a flower is. If your mind threw up …
“A really well-made buttonhole is the only link between Art and Nature.”–Oscar Wilde. When’s the last time you’ve seen a well-dressed man walking down the street sporting a flower—a boutonnière—in the buttonhole of his lapel? Chances are, you simply haven’t, except for maybe at a wedding or some other exceedingly formal occasion. In fact, you’re …