By Kathy Esfahani
With 2023 just around the corner, what flowers are best for New Year’s Eve?
Lots of flowers symbolize happiness or new beginnings and are therefore perfect for the holidays! Look for the following flowers when planning hostess gifts, centerpieces, decorations, or just new additions to your home.
- Orchids symbolize happiness, wealth, abundance, luxury and beauty. They come in a variety of colors and make a thoughtful gift. An orchid prefers a light environment, but no direct sunlight, and requires little maintenance other than proper watering.
- Daffodils are traditional symbols of new beginnings or rebirth. Although many associate these blooms with spring, they’re also a popular New Year’s gift – make sure to give more than one, as some believe a single daffodil bloom symbolizes bad luck!
- Lotus flowers are submerged in the water and mud around them at the end of each day, but bloom again the next morning as a beautiful bloom above the water. Her waxy petals don’t cling to mud and produce clean, bright blooms every day. For these reasons, a lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth and purity, but it also represents wealth, peace, grace, and devotion.
- Calla lilies symbolize youth, purity and new beginnings. Their name comes from the Greek word for beauty, and the flowers have silky, elegant petals. The white calla lily is the best known and is often used in wedding bouquets. However, these flowers come in a variety of colors including yellow (meaning friendship), black (meaning mystery), and purple (meaning royalty).
- Alstroemeria represents luck, prosperity and wealth. Also known as the Peruvian lily, it has a trumpet-shaped flower. These flowers make wonderful additions to arrangements as they can last up to two weeks when cut.
- Hyacinth flowers are symbols of new beginnings and change, but they are also used in Christian churches to symbolize joy and love. A hyacinth plant has long leaves and one to three spikes of purple/blue flowers. They have a pleasant scent but contain oxalic acid, which can cause skin irritation. (Be sure to wear gloves when working with the flowers!)
- Peonies represent prosperity, innocence, dignity and compassion. Red flowers in particular are symbols of good luck and are therefore often seen in gifts or decorations around New Year’s Eve. Peonies produce large flowers in a variety of colors.
Happy New Year!
Flower of the week: orchid
Please email Kathy at kcg.pvr@gmail.com if you have any questions or garden tips you’d like to see in the future. For more information and ideas, visit Kathy’s Creative Gardens & Nursery, 196 N. Roscoe Blvd. The phone number is 904-655-7373.
