What is Valentine's Day - The Legend of St. Valentine

Valentine's Day is upon us. A day that many adore and dread. What exactly is Valentine's Day about? Why has it persuaded so many people to adorn their surroundings with hearts and shades of pink or red? The holiday calls back to the days of Romans converting to Christianity. During this time, soldiers were to be utterly devout to the empire and were thus prevented from marrying. St. Valentine, a Catholic priest, started to perform marriages for the soldiers in secret because of his belief in the importance of love. After being imprisoned for his crimes in the name of love, he served and blessed those he was with. Before his execution, he is said to have written a love message to a girl whose blindness he healed as his final act. The message was signed “from your Valentine.” And so, the tradition of gifting “valentines” started as a way to convey messages of love to those you admire. Naturally, the holiday also became associated with the gift of flowers.

To celebrate the sentiment of Valentine’s Day, True Leaf Market has created this special seed assortment celebrating the nature of love. This assortment comes with six seed varieties, including Geranium, Aster, Begonia, Petunia, and Zinnias. While giving the gift of flowers has many benefits, we believe the gift of living flowers can be much more impactful. Cut flowers are dying flowers. From the moment they are cut, the process of dying is accelerated. Why not give a gift that perpetuates life? The Sweetheart's Flower Mix - Valentine's Flower Collection can do just that. This year, give your valentine flowers that will grow and spread joy for months to come. Their bright hues of pink, red, and purple are sure to bring joy day after day. Or, let you special someone choose their own flowers with a True Leaf Market Gift Card.

Flowers have long been connected to various symbolic messages. In Ancient Egypt, they were commonly associated with symbols of power. In Ancient Japan, they were connected with meditation. And my favorite connection is that of the Victorian era. Here the language of flowers were used to convey messages without the need for verbal language. A combination of flowers and colors was used to send a very clear message, whether to a lover or an enemy.

One of the greatest correlations between flowers and the emotion of love is from the story of Aphrodite and Adonis. Upon the wounding of Adonis, Aphrodite was filled with tears from which she created roses. Thus, roses have often been associated with the emotion of love. A light pink flower may represent simple love, such as that given by a young child, whereas deep-red flowers represent a deeper, more passionate, and mature love.

Flower Symbolism

• Geraniums - happiness, friendship, good health
• Aster - love, wisdom, faith, color, a greek symbol of love, placed on the alters of gods in greek mythology
• Begonia - caution and consideration, good communication
• Petunia - anger, resentment, and comfort
• Zinnia - friendship, endurance, remembrance, goodness, lasting affection

Break free from the tradition of gifting a dozen roses that will only last a few days. Over 250 million roses die each Valentine's Day. In most homes, these massacred flowers are enjoyed only briefly before being thrown into the trash can. Withered. Alone. Cold. Compost their remains in the garden and memorialize your dead roses with a flower bed full of blooms this year. Give their life greater meaning with a living flower garden of love. With the Valentine’s Flower Collection, you can represent the full spectrum of relationships, romance, and emotion. Love is complex as it is really the combination of happiness, friendship, wisdom, anger, endurance, remembrance, and overall goodness. As these flowers persist in various environmental factors, struggles, and hardships, you will endure the many ways love flows through your life. Regardless of the ups or downs, you can always enjoy the flowers.

Other Resources:

• How to Start Seeds Indoors
• Flower and Garden Seed Starting Containers
• Home Composting Without the Mess