Falling in Love with Violets
Every month has a “birth month flower” associated with it.
February is dominated by one day - Valentine’s Day. And what flower do you automatically think of when you think of Valentine’s Day? The red rose. So naturally you would assume that the flower for the month of February is the red rose; but you would be wrong. The flower for the month of February is the very dainty, pretty, and unassuming violet.
The more I learn about violets, the more I love them. Their delicate beauty and vibrant hues catch your eye, and then capture your heart.
Violets have a delicate sweet scent that has long been used in making perfume. Once popular (it was a favourite of Queen Victoria), over time it came to be thought of as an old-fashioned fragrance. But these days, fragrance houses are finding ways to modernize violet by mixing it with other scents. I’m very much looking forward to going to Jo Malone’s in London and trying their Violet and Amber creation.
Violets are very rare to find as a cut flower. In 2018, there was only one remaining commercial violet farm in the US. If we want to have violets in our homes, we need to be satisfied with the African violet house plant. This plant is very popular, widely available, easy to care for, and makes a lovely gift for just about any occasion. Here are some suggestions:
Since the violet is the flower for February, it’s a great gift for someone with a February birthday;
Violets are one of the two official flowers to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary;
Violets represent faithfulness because of the way the plant faithfully blooms. You could give this plant to anyone to whom you want to say, ‘I’m always there for you’;
Violets, with their heart-shaped leaves, also represent love, making it a great gift for Valentine’s Day;
And finally, because of the size of the plant, they make the perfect gift for someone in a hospital or care facility, someone living in a dorm or other small space, or for someone to put on their desk at work.
While I’m not much of a “plant person”, I do want to have these cheery little flowers in my home, so I’m off to the store to buy one - or maybe two - of these delightful bundles of blooms.
