Human Flower Project
Secular Customs
Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND
Austin, Texas USA
Hollywood, California USA
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Stamp out Narcissus
For the lunar new year, the U.S. postal service has issued a special stamp to commemorate an old floral custom of the holiday and celebrate Year of the Tiger.
A holiday tea set carved from narcissus bulbs at a
garden in Zhangzhou City. “Daffodil sculpture for indoor
decoration has become increasingly popular… at the
current high season of narcissus efflorescence.”
Photo: Lin Jianwu for Xinhua
With apologies to PETA:
We would like to see a giant heart-shaped doily set on fire and a white tiger, narcissus flowers in its mouth, leaping through the flames. However, we’ll be content with the U.S. Postal Service’s new commemorative stamp: Year of the Tiger.
February 14th is a double-whammy occasion this year. Remember your sweetheart tomorrow but note that Sunday’s also the Chinese New Year (also known as “Spring Festival.”) Year of the Ox, which has admittedly been a plodder, gives way something, we can only hope, more vigorous and bright.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Olympic Bouquets, Green with Piety
After much deliberation, the Vancouver olympic committee has settled on a monochromatic bouquet for the 1800 winners. O (what’s with you?) Canada!
The winner after 23 attempts: the design chosen for the 2010 Olympic bouquet.
Photo: Bill Keay, for Canwest News
The “green-gos” have spoken. Last week, the powers that Olympicize introduced the bouquets that winners in the 2010 Winter games will wave.
“The Olympic bouquets are a soft, elegant green, with five B.C.-grown spider mums in the centre, surrounded by layers of monkey grass, aspidistra leaves and hypericum berries imported from Ecuador.”
What do you think?
We reported awhile back that June Strandberg, partnering with Margitta Schulz of North Vancouver, had won the contract to design and make the games’ 1800 victory bouquets. Strandberg’s Just Flowers, based in Surry, hires ex-convicts and trains them for livelihoods in floristry, giving her a conscionable advantage over the competition.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Flag Football
For tomorrow’s Superbowl, we’re going with the Saints and their ancient floral insignia.
Emblazoned with a spiky “flower,” the fleur-de-lis, a helmet of the New Orleans Saints
Photo: Getty
We’re backing to Saints in tomorrow’s Superbowl for any number of reasons – but let’s keep it floral. The New Orleans NFL team’s insignia is the fleur-de-lis, a stylized flower with ancient roots and many manifestations around this city, the sensual capital of the U.S.A.
“It does not just represent the Saints,” running back Reggie Bush told The New York Times. “It’s amazing. You see it everywhere. You see it on churches and in restaurants.” The Times’ Joe LaPointe has a good synopsis of the emblem’s history, and we’ve run one here, too (sans pigskin).
Friday, January 29, 2010
Growing Luck in Malaysia
Can one lottery winner inspire a new floral tradition for the lunar year? A Malaysian nurseryman chirps, yes!
In Malaysia, this variety of pedilanthus is a favorite for the lunar new year.
Photo: The Star
The lunar new year arrives late this year, February 14, but horticulturists and florists worldwide have long been preparing. Traditional plants of the celebration
include bong mai, yellow chrysanthemum, flowering plum and narcissus, all early bloomers. The trick is handling them just so they flower on the holiday itself.
This year, along with the old customs, there’s 21st century spin in the marketing of holiday plants. If Apple, Google and Scott Brown can do it, why not nurserymen?
Culture & Society • Cut-Flower Trade • Secular Customs • Permalink