This time of year is all about hunkering down at home in the warmth as the temperatures drop. So why not make your home as bright and cosy as can be and add colour with some favourite winter flowers. The following three flowers are beautiful and plentiful throughout winter and will bring cheer to your home in the cold, drizzly months to come.
Chrysanthemum
These flowers are quite often overlooked, but the colour and variety of these flowers warrants them a second look. They were first cultivated by the Chinese as a flowering herb going back as far as the 15th century and Chrysanthemum tea is still a popular drink in China today.
What is so fascinating about this quiet flower is how it has changed from the original yellow flower, which gave it its name Chrysanthemum meaning golden flower, to its many varied colours and shapes today. The modern Chrysanthemum comes in green to white, pinks, reds, oranges and variegated colours and can vary from small flowers to showy large blooms.
The chrysanthemum is also prized for its long vase life.
These flowers can make a simple bouquet look stunning and are worth while checking them out at your local Flowers Work Wonders retailer.
Stock
Stock is a beautiful looking spike flower in either its single or double flower form, and has been a favourite since Elizabethan times. It really does have that cottage garden characteristic to it, but also looks stunning in a bouquet.
This flower is originally from the Mediterranean, but is a cool season flower. It has a fragrant variety as well, which is reminiscent of the clove in smell. They come in a variety of colours from white ranging through the pinks, reds and lilacs to soft creams.
These flowers are best bought when only two thirds of them are in flower, so they will continue to open. They like fresh water, so to get a long life out of them it is best to change their water a few times, when you put them in a vase also remember to remove any green below the water line.
Stock is a stunning ethereal looking flower with a meaning of happy life or contented existence. Occasionally you may come across stock being referred to as a Gillyflower or Matthiola.
Tulips
Tulips have been around for centuries and were first cultivated in the Ottoman Empire, but it wasn’t until they came to Holland in the 15th Century that these beautiful flowers became part of Tulip Mania.
At one point Tulip bulbs were so prized that they were used as currency. Today they are still highly prized and for good reason, these flowers come in a variety of gorgeous colours and shapes.
To brighten your home, pick up a bunch from your local Flowers Work Wonders retailer. Make sure you re-cut the stem with a sharp knife and keep their water clean, tulips are quite discerning in the water they like to drink.
