There is something a little bit magical about heading into Autumn. The leaves are changing and falling, the nights are drawing in, candles are being lit, and Halloween is on the horizon. Having gorgeous autumnal blooms in your home can reinvigorate the space after summer and give you something lovely to look at as the nights draw in.
Folklore, magic, and flowers have long been intertwined, and Autumn is a great time to look at the magical blooms in our midst. Florals have made their way into myths, legends, superstitions, and spells; just as people have aways decorated their homes with flowers, so the flowers have woven their way into our lives. Here are just a few examples:
Magical Blooms from a Local Florist
Roses – There are many myths, legends and stories that include roses, but there is one way this gorgeous bloom has worked its way into nearly every home in the country without us even knowing it. The Romans ensured that a rose would be hung or carved over a dining table or meeting space to ensure that any conversations that happened under the rose (sub rosa) would stay secret. This is why the plaster mouldings surrounding a light fitting today are known as the ceiling rose.
Primroses – Irish folklore lets us know that leaving primroses on your doorstep attracts fairies who will bless your home and protect it. Perhaps including primroses in a new home bouquet is a perfect combination.
Chrysanthemum – These gorgeous flowers are not only lovely to look at but can also be made into wine. The flowers are seen as a symbol of luck in China, and their superstition advises that for you to receive good health, peace, and old age, you need to drink Chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth month. Also celebrated in Greece, these flowers are believed to protect against evil spirits, which is why they are often seen on graves.
Foxgloves – These bell-shaped flowers have had long associations with fairies. In the 14th Century, fairies were known as good folk, believed to have lived in these flowers, and so became known as the Folk’s Glove, which over time became foxglove! As a heliotropic flower, they follow the sunlight giving rise to the belief that they would move towards any fairies passing by.
Orchid – Always associated with fertility as their name is derived from the Greek word for testicles which is ‘orchis’. Superstition grew with these flowers, and if a pregnant woman were to eat the small orchid tubers, she would have a girl, and if her partner were to eat the large ones, she would give birth to a boy!
Daisy – Many of us have played ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ by plucking the petals from a daisy, or perhaps we remember making a daisy chain when we were children. It is no wonder, then, that the Victorians used the daisy to mean positivity, truth, and innocence. With so many varieties of daisies, it is always lovely to see them in a bouquet.
For a truly stunning display of flowers in your home this Autumn, get your gorgeous bouquets from Hanako. You can choose from their range of modern colour palettes and sizes or talk to the florist directly to have something magical made just for you.
